Second Chances Only Come Once A Lifetime
by Victoria Micheal
Summary: Eight years after Elizabeth Wakefield refuses Laurent's proposal, she gets a rare second chance to do something she should have done long ago. ** Chapter 22 up and running!**
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
16 year old Elizabeth Wakefield sat in her favorite chair looking out at the bright moon. Her thoughts weren't on her boyfriend Todd Wilkins, or even in Sweet Valley, her only known home. No, her thoughts had crossed the ocean of time to that fateful moment when she turned down her love, Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie's proposal. Even at that moment when the words escaped her mouth she knew she made a horrible mistake by telling the wonderful man that turned her heart upside down she wouldn't marry him. The thought was confirmed when she got back together with Todd Wilkins, the boyfriend that broke up with her before she left with her twin sister Jessica to be live in au pairs for the royal family. The feeling of closeness that she once shared with Todd was completely gone, only the feeling of longing that she had denied her self.   
Sighing Elizabeth got out of the chair and over to her stereo and turned on a pop station. Annoyed with the car commerical that was on she turned it off. She went into the bathroom that divided her and Jessica's room then looked into the mirror. A sad blonde teenager looked back out at her, with a heart shaped face and upset blue-green eyes. She knocked on the door to Jess' room then pushed the door open. The room looked liked a tornado hit it, but it always looked like that.   
"Jess, I made a mistake." She said after moving a mountian of clothes off the desk chair. Jessica looked at her sad identical twin. "Dating Todd, has always been a mistake. I've told you that many times."  
"No, its about Laurent, I shouldn't have said no." The Wakefield twins met eyes in the mirror.  
"You're right you shouldn't, but second chances are once in a life time. Who knows you might get yours." 


	2. Memories of the Past

Twenty-four year old Elizabeth Wakefield looked out the window of the rolling bus. Watching the english rolling landscape her thoughts traveled to the train ride when she and Jessica were traveling to the station here the Chateau. And then the memories begin.  
"No!" She said aloud, Ryan Geriero her body gaurd looked at her funny.   
"No what?" He questioned her.  
"Nothing. Sorry."   
"Better get some sleep Liz, because we'll be in London, tomorrow morning. You still have a lot of press to do for your book." Since that summer eight years ago, Elizabeth had broken up with Todd before Senior year, and during that year, she dated Connor McDermott for a while and just dated around. She graduated with and moved onto SVU with Jessica. Elizabeth majored in Journalism. She dated a few men in college but the closest she ever came to repeating the experience with Laurent was with Max, the son of English Earl. He proposed but she declined. She graduated from SVU with a degree in Journalism and a minor in creative writing. That's when her creative wrting professor got ahold of her novella and talked to a friend in the publishing business and was able to get Elizabeth a meeting with A to Z Books and Elizabeth landed her self a book deal. Now at 24 years old she is promoting her debut novel, uSecond Chance./u  
"I know Ryan. Jessica would have my head on a platunim platter if I appeared to her with craters under my eyes." Jessica was her makeup artist/ stylist and confidant.  
Elizabeth walked into the hall were all the bunks where. Lifting her self onto the top far right one. She pulled out a little picture of her and Laurent, it was them after Laurent stopped the train she was trying to escape on. One of the guests had a polaroid and took a picture of the prince and his girlfriend that he just proposed to. They both looked so happy and so in love.  
"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked the memory. Before pulling up the blanket and falling directly sleep.  
  
Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie flipped blindly through the channels on his television. Nothing caught his attention.   
He was twenty-six years old and single. If he had his way eight years ago he would be a happy man with a wife he loved and a family. But fate had other plans for him apperantly because he wasn't very happy at the moment. Infact he hadn't been happy since Elizabeth Wakefield said no.   
It still hurt to think about it. He was so caught up in his dreary thoughts he almost missed the American talk show, Book Chat with host Angela Forest. The long faced woman was talking becuase her mouth was moving. What caught his attention was the book she had propped on her black desk. Laurent quickly turned up the volume.   
"..... I read this book a couple of days ago and I before I started it I thought it was going to be some trashy romance novel about unrequited love and blah blah blah not worth the paper it was printed on. But I sat down to read it and I was completely shocked. I couldn't put it down. Elizabeth Wakefield pulles you in with a complex plot, but simple enough for the average person to follow strong emotional characters and an unexpected ending. This book is the start of something big for this woman, who I might add, is just twenty-four yrs old. Elizabeth right now is on tour right now promoting this wonderful book that is now in stores. She is going to be London tomorrow, at Books on the Wall, in the center of London, signing autographs. Now, on for our Spotlight On Jacki Connor's new on Love and Life..."  
Laurent's attention faded again as Angela switched topics. Elizabeth. In. London. This is the closest he has been too her since she left France. Laurent was in the Hilton Hotel in London, because he came on a diplomatic trip with his father, Prince Nicolas de Sainte  
Marie.   
The question was, was he going to see her tomorrow? 


	3. Jessica Takes Things Into Her Own Hands

Elizabeth opened her eyes to the feel of the bus make a stop. The drape opened and too much light for the morning poored into the bunk.   
"Good Morning Sunshine." Jessica Wakefield said brightly pulling on when she opened the drape. Elizabeth groaned and pulled the off white blanket over her head.   
"Why are you so cheerful? You used to hate waking up early." Elizabeth grumbled into her blanket.   
"Oh, c'mon now and you used to love waking up early, besides it's not early it's 10:30 am and I have to get you looking your best to do the meet and greet. So up you go." Jessica grabbed her sister and dragged her out of the bunk, blanket and all. Inwardly Jessica was enjoying torturing her sister. When they were in college, Elizabeth always bugged Jessica to pick up the pace.   
It felt good to have the foot on the other twin.  
Elizabeth stumbled into the kitchenet and picked up the mug of black coffee, that Jessica had poured before waking up Elizabeth. Holding on to the coffee with both hands she made her way into the back lounge and sat down on the black leather couch and clicked on the cd player, Shakira came out the speaker. Elizabeth took that first sip of coffee. A few minutes later Jessica came back and laid an outfit on the couch with a bag of pasteries. Elizabeth laid her head on the back of the couch. She couldn't sleep.   
Again.  
And when she did fall asleep dawn had approached and she could olny fall into a doze. Memories had kept her awake. It was strange, usually she pushed the memories to the back of her mind. It was like this 4 years ago when the memories last attacked, and what brought that on was that Laurent had came to California, with his family for a quick vaction. The memories ended when the royal family went back to France. She was thankful when they did because it made life a little more tolerable. But now... the memories were back with a vengence.   
Jessica came back into the room where Elizabeth was sitting. Grabbing the bag of food she came over and sat down next to her sister.  
"I've been thinking of Jacques, alot recently." Jessica confessed while pulling out a chocolate eclair and biting into it. "I wonder whatever happened to him."   
Elizabeth reached for a cream filled one and bit down. "Now that you mention it, I wonder how he and his dad faired."  
"Believe it or not, I still have the braclet he gave me." Jessica pulled out the velvet box and revealed the pearl braclet. "Here, I want you to wear it for good luck during the press time."   
Elizabeth took the box numbly. "Jessica that's really nice of you, thank you." Elizabeth hugged her sister then took the clothes and bracelet and went to get dressed.  
"You're going to need all the luck you can get to get through today," Jessica murmured but Elizabeth couldn't hear her sister.   
  
i "Elizabeth?" I questioned. I couldn't believe it, Elizabeth looked as beautiful as she had that summer.   
"Laurent? Hi, its been a long long time." She greeted me with a winning smile. "I can't believe you're here."  
"Elizabeth, I've missed you and I still love you." I blurted out rather loudly. Everyone in the store turned to look at me.   
"I'm sorry to hear that. Because I'm married." She paused to wave over someone. An all too fimilar face came over.   
"Laurent, I still see you haven't grown up." Simon deForte. Laughed and put an arm around Elizabeth.   
"You... you're married to... to this guy?" I stuttered.   
"That's right, now get it through you thick head. Bring Bring Bring BRING" /iLaurent opened his eyes and rolled out of bed, he groaned when he hit the floor. The phone was ringing on the night table.   
"Damnit." He muttered and got back on the bed. He picked up the phone. "How did you get this number?" He grumbled into the mouth piece.   
"Your Grace, there is a woman who wants to see you, she says its important, that you know her, Jessica Wakefield? " A female's voice came through the reciever. "Jessica wakefield?" He questioned "Send her up."   
"Yes sir."  
Laurent hung up and was able to put on some clothes and wet his hair in the sink. When Jessica knocked on the door, Laurent was coming out of the bathroom he was wearing black jeans and a white long sleeved shirt and was barefoot. Opening the door he was surprised by the image that greeted him.  
Jessica looked different. She was wearing white jeans and a blue sweatshirt with the letters SVU in white. She was in a pair of black boots. "Hello Laurent, it's been a long time." The two old friends hugged and Laurent invited her into the main room.   
"Take a seat." He offered. Jessica sat down on the couch. "You look great," he said.   
"You too, Laurent. I wanna say, that I didn't come here to make small talk." Jessica said quite bluntly. She had never been one to dance around the subject. "I came here about Elizabeth."  
"Is she alright?!"   
"She's fine actually, she's an author."   
"Yeah I know I saw her novel on television yesturday."  
"So are you going to see her or not?"  
"I don't know."   
"I suggest you do go to her as soon as possible or Max will."  
"Who in the hell is Max?"  
"Max is the only other guy that compares to you. He asked her to marry him." Jessica quickly told Laurent all about Max and their relationship.   
"Elizabeth actually ran away and became a maid? I can't see her doing that."   
"Oh, please, change the names and the occupation its the exact same story as when we were your little siblings au pairs. Right down to breaking up a wedding and the groom proposing to Lizzie. And she still said no."   
Laurent laid back and rested his head on the couch back, deep in thought. He got his wish, another chance to make Elizabeth his.   
He wasn't going to take no for an answer this time. 


	4. An Unexpected Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. No matter how much I would love to.  
PS: Thanks for your support of my story; mystichaven, if you are anyone else wanna read more of my work visit my site; that I own, you can also find For All Eternity by Julia Laure in my hosted stories. I hope to get chapter 4 up soon. My site, http://sharesworld.cjb.net/ bye bye   
  
Now to chapter 3 of Second Chances Only Come Once A Lifetime:  
  
  
"Thanks for coming." Elizabeth said for the thousandth time or what felt like the thousandth time. A fake fony smile was stretched across her face, it was beginning to hurt. She signed the inside cover of the hardback "To Dani, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did writing it." Elizabeth looked at what she wrote and metally kicked her self in the ass. Underneath that she wrote " To Dani, I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it."  
"Here you go." She said handing the tome to the young woman standing in front of her. The girl left to go pay for the book. "please tell me that I can take a break." She pleaded.  
"Go ahead. Be back in an hour though." George Hatter, her manager said. Elizabeth looked at her watch and it said, 1:30pm. Before George could change his mind Elizabeth bolted out of her chair and out the door of the bookstore. Taking a deep breath of London air Elizabeth turned south, thinking that a walk around the area would do her good.   
After all she had an entire hour to her self. After walking south for a couple of minutes she came apon a hole in the wall used bookstore. Why not she thought as she walked into the small building. A young woman with long black hair was reading a book when Elizabeth walked in.   
"Hello" she said politely, "My name is Anne, are you looking for a certin book today?" Anne had an american accent.  
"No, I'm just looking, I'm on my lunch break from Books on the Wall."   
"You're Elizabeth Wakefield aren't you?"   
"Yes, I am."   
"Well if you need anything let me know."   
"Ok." Elizabeth headed towards the fiction area in hopes of finding a trashy romance novel to read until she is due back at the store. Wondering through the hardbacks she came across a book PHANTOM; the story of his life, by Susan Kay. Picking up the volume she read the back.  
A child is born... a mother's only gift is a mask. And the child grows to manhood.  
"My mind has touched the farthest horizons of mental imgination and reaches ever outward toembrace infinity. There is no knowledge beyond my comprehension, no art or skill upon this entire planet that lies beyond the mastery of my hand...But as long as I live no woman will look on me in love." - from Phantom.   
"It sounds interesting." Elizabeth murmured to herself and she turned the thick book around to the front. Opening it up she checked out the price. !0 pounds. I'll get it. She decided as she walked toward the front. She looked at her ever present watch. 1:40pm she still had plenty of time to get something to eat and head back to the store.  
"I see you decided on a book." Anne said as Elizabeth approached the desk.  
"Yeah I thought this sounded interesting." Elizabeth handed the book to Anne.   
Putting her glasses on Anne arched her eyebrow. "Have you ever read uThe Phantom of the Opera/u By Gaston Leurox?"   
"No I haven't why?"   
" This book is a rewrite of that book by Gaston Leurox it would be best if you read Phantom of the Opera then read Phantom."  
"You sound like you know a lot about Phantom of the Opera."   
"I do actually I also know that we have a copy of POTO. If your interested."   
"Sure." Anne led Elizabeth to the classics area and pulled out an old copy of a book. The words The Phantom of the Opera by G. Leurox was on the black cover written in flowing red ink.   
"Thanks." Elizabeth said looking at the book.   
"No problem. I'm glad to sire a new phan." Anne walked back behind the desk and rang up the books. Elizabeth handed over 15 pounds and took the books. She looked out the window and gasped quietly. Laurent de Sainte-Marie was just outside the building, he was walking with Jessica by the looks of them they were sharing a joke. A strange feeling bubbled up inside her. Something she hasn't felt in many years.   
It was jealousy. Jealousy of Jessica for being with Laurent.  
"Elizabeth, Elizabeth are you ok?"   
"HUH?" Elizabeth blinked and looked back outside, they were gone.   
"Why did that girl next to the god look exactly like you? And why do you look like you just ate a lemon?"  
"She's my twin sister. And that greek god was my ex boyfriend."  
"Wanna talk about it?"   
  
*30 minutes later*   
"... So he was riding along the train and actually jumped from the horse onto the train. The conductor completely stopped the train." Elizazbeth said between bites of a chicken salad. Her and Anne her new friend, were sitting at a cafe directly across from Books on the Wall. "Then," she continued after a drink of diet coke. "He walked towards me oblvious of the stares that people were giving him. He came to me and sweeped me litterally off my chair and kissed the breath right out of me. He put me down and..."  
"What did he do?? C'mon girl don't leave me hanging." Anne pleaded.  
"He got down on his knee and proposed to me. Right infront of ieveryone/i I was so shocked I couldn't say anything. He then escorted me off the trian and lifted me onto the white horse and we actually rode off into the sunset."  
"And why you are not with him at this moment..."   
"Because I'm a dumbass."  
"On any other occasion I would argue that but, this time I'll agree with ya. Ok, so that was age 16, so then what happened?"  
"I went back home to Sweet Valley and regreted my decision. I have regreted it since I said no to him. I mean every time he is within hours of me memories of what happened attack me. I can't contrla them I wish I could, but I can't." Elizabeth went quiet and took another bite of salad. It was really good, the salad.  
"I think," Anne began "that those memories are telling you that you need to re think your desicions and at least face him."   
"He doesn't feel the same way,i I/i broke up with ihim/i he has moved on." Elizabeth said quietly. "I was a fool and I'm going to have to live with my mistake for the my life."   
"So optimistic." Anne said. "I wonder how your twin... Jessica stands it."  
"Very funny"   
"Look I gotta get back to the store and you have to get back to signing books. I'll buy a copy when I get off at 3."   
"I'll still be there. I'll be there until 3:30."   
"Later then."   
"Bye" Elizabeth headed across the street and into the shop. She looked at her watch and saw that she still had a few minutes left. She sighed it was going to be a long day.  
  
iWhat if she doesn't she wanna see me?/i Laurent paused at that thought. That had never crossed his mind until he saw her walk into the store carrying a plastic bag with her. Watching her walk to the table that held a pile of books and a bunch of felt tip pens. She sat down and pulled out 2 books from her bag. Curiousity getting the best of him he quietly walked closer to her. He walked closer to her to simply find out what books she had, not to see if her hair still held that sweet smell of roses.   
"What are you doing?" Jessica said interecting his move to Elizabeth. She saw that he was moving in the direction of Elizabeth who was now reading a black book. "I see." Jessica grabbed Laurent's arm and started towards Elizabeth.  
"Lizzie, look at who I found." Jessica yelled in the almost empty store. Jessica ignored Laurent's attempts to break her grip. She dragged him over to Elizabeth who had put down the book in surprise. She watched the whole ordeal with an horrified/ humiliated look on her face. Jessica marched proudly up to the table infront of all the people in the area. Laurent knew his face was burning from embarrassment, he also knew that the onlookers were also trying to keep a straight face, at the sight of a grown man much less a biROYAL PRINCE/i/b being dragged across the floor by a smaller woman, a blonde to another blonde who looked the way he felt.   
When they got to the table which a shocked speechless Elizabeth Wakefield sat. She was still holding that book, Laurent turned his head and was able to read the cover, The Phantom of the Opera, by G. Leroux.   
"Here you go Lizzie, a bona-fide Prince." Jessica crowed happily.   
"Jessica please.." Elizabeth muttered looking around. Looking everywhere but at him.   
Dropping his arm she looked around at all the people. "What are you looking at? Everyone this is a private matter and let the two have their privacy." Everyone went back to what they were doing. Turning back to him she clapped his shoulder with her hand and directed her gaze at Elizabeth. "My work is done." She turned and walked away with normal Jessica like flounce.   
Elizabeth shook her head ."One of these days I'm going to kill her" she muttered.  
She turned back to him. 


	5. Face To Face With The Past

It really couldn't have been more than a minute or two since Jessica dragged Laurent over to Elizabeth, but to her it felt like an hour or two. So many emotions flew through her;just by seeing him up close and personal. What would happen if he leaned down and kissed her. Would she resist or would it be like that magical moment when he surprised her with a picnic by the Med Sea and gave her that bone melting.   
Neither Elizabeth or Laurent noticed that that they were getting closer and closer, Until George Hatter interupted the moment. "Save the romance until i after/i the signing.   
Elizabeth pulled back and looked anywhere but at Laurent and his incredible blue eyes. "Ok, George." Elizabeth said quickly. She looked up and his eyes reflected some emotion she couldn't quite understand. He pulled away and stood up as George lumbered over to them.   
"George, I would like you to meet--" Elizabeth began.  
"Laurent." Laurent broke in, straightening up, looking very offical. "Laurent de Sainte-Marie."  
"Oh.. I'm sorry Your Grace, Jessica Wakefield really needs to learn her place. She doesn't realize that Europe is different than America where everybody is the same. She doesn't reconize the boundries of royalty and the common man..."   
'Should I...' Elizabeth mulled over the thought. 'I should.... after all he is my ex.'   
"George." She broke in. "I think those people want to see me." She motioned to the line of curious onlookers watching the groveling in interest.  
"It would be a good idea for us to move.... George." Laurent said backing away from the line off to the side.  
"Yes... Yes of course Your Highness."  
Elizabeth looked over at Laurent and rolled her eyes at George's blabber. She could see that he was trying to keep a straight face. 'At least he hasn't let the royalty thing go to his head.' Elizabeth shook her head and concentrated on the people infront of her.  
  
*Later That Day*  
  
"Where did you meet the Prince?" George's voice snaked its way into her thoughts.   
"He's my exboyfriend." Elizabeth said that simply. Oh, but it wasn't that simple, not at all. The only reason she kept herself from doing something drastitic earler was because of the people there and that she didn't want to "lose it" infront of George and jump on Laurent.  
"You you're EX BOYFRIEND?!!!!" George sputtered in complete and utter shock. He sat down at the chair Elizabeth had been using.   
From the way he said EX BOYFRIEND, Elizabeth thought a little explanation was in order.   
"George, it was eight years ago when Jessica and I spent the summer at their chateau for the summer as au pairs for the family. I met Laurent and basically fell in love with him after he saved me from a severe thunderstorm."  
"Elizabeth is there anything else you need to tell me? It's important that I know what happened between you two."   
"Well... remember when that big scandel about Laurent breaking his engagement with the Countess's daughter because he proposed to another? Well that was me, but I turned him down. So I could go back to Sweet Valley."  
"Is that it?"   
"Pretty much." Elizabeth packed the rest of her stuff that she brought with her into the backpack. "Look I didn't get enough sleep last night so I'm going back to the hotel to be by myself." She turned her back to him and made her way out the store. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. Pulled her ponytail tighter and felt a fat drop of water hit her left wrist. Then another hit her forehead another and another until the was perfect sky that was earlier was now pelting her with rain.  
"This is ijust/i too great. Here I am without an umbrella and I'm 7 city blocks from the hotel." Elizabeth groaned out loud and pushed her wet bangs out of her eyes. Just as she was turning to go back into the store when the rain stopped pelting her. But the rain was still falling, just not on her. She turned to face the person who was holding the umbrella and came face to face again with Laurent.   
"Thank you." She said quietly  
"I've been waiting for you since earlier. We have unfinished business." Laurent motioned to the limo that was pulling next to them on the road. "will you come back to my suite with me?"   
Elizabeth looked back into Books On The Wall and saw that George was occupied, talking to a woman half his age. He wouldn't need her and besides she had firmly told him that she wanted to be on her own.   
"Sure."  
An hour later Elizabeth was wrapped in the complmentory robe that hotels give you. She ran a comb through the wet mass of hair, result of the shower that she had taken just a few minutes ago. She was sitting in front of the fireplace in the main room of Laurent's private suite. After she had agreed to go back to the hotel, they had gotton into the limo and took the 15 minute ride back to the Four Seasons where the two princes where staying for their visit. When they had gotten to the hotel, they had to go around the back way to get in because of the press, that took another 15 minutes. After they get in, they meet Prince Nicolas coming out of the back lift with his adviser. He greeted Elizabeth with a kiss on both cheeks and spoke to Laurent for a few moments. When they finally get to his suite he offers Elizabeth the robe and a hot shower.   
"About what happened..." Laurent began.   
"You don't have to explain I know Jessica can be out there sometimes. I'm sorry if being dragged through a bookstore was humlitating, to say the least."  
"Not about that, what happened to us all those years ago."  
"Oh...that." Elizabeth already knew that was what he wanted to talk about, but she wanted to stall the invitable, because she knew what he wanted to ask and now she wasn't so sure...  
"Yes, Elizabeth ithat/i" Laurent came over and sat down next to her infront of the fire.   
Elizabeth stared hard into the orange/yellow/red flames of the fire. When she saw him walking with Jessica she knew that this was coming up. "There's nothing that can be said that hasn't already been said." She said quietly not looking away from the jumping flames.  
"Actually there is a lot to be said. First of all, we are not teenagers anymore we arel adults and we both knew that we were going to face each other sometime."  
"I knew that we were, I never denied that. Even still this isn't the time or the place to discuss this, I'm in the middle of my book tour, my life is very messed up as it is, Jessica has been acting strange these past few days. I have been living out of suit cases and hotel rooms-"  
The chattering in the hotel room became non existant because Laurent had quieted her mouth... with his. 


	6. Runaway Love

Elizabeth groaned and rolled over. The loud crack of thunder rised her out of the wonerful feeling of drowisness. She stretched, sighed deeply and buried her self back down into the....satin bed clothes? Her eyes popped open, her hotel bed doesn't have satin sheets. Elizabeth, with out moving too much aimed her head so that she could get a better look at the room. Seeing the oak desk, expenisve black leather couch, velvet drapes, and a fireplace that had long since gone out.   
What she did know was that she wasn't in her room at the Bennet Hotel where she was suposed to be staying over night, while here in London, then this morning they where heading north towards Whales to do more press then finally to home. For the past few months she hadn' ta moment to herself, so laying here in a bed, listening to the patter of the rain on the windows gave her a moment in time to just relax and clear her head, which was her goal when she left the bookstore and was interested by...  
UH OH.   
She bolted into a sitting postition and looked down at the lump beside her on the bed. The blankets were pulled completely up so she leaned down and picked up the blanket just enough to see the black hair she already knew was there.   
This is so not good. She thought as she sat there. There is really only thing I can do. Elizabeth used steath to get out of the bed. She was amazed that he was still asleep. A few months ago she had watched "an exclusive interview with His Royal Highness Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie," and how what a light sleeper he was.   
Before she could stop herself, Elizabeth smirk and said quietly "well I really must have tired him out." That wasn't the smartest thing for her to do, because the black head visible in the sheets stirred. Apparently talking will wake him. Not wanting a confrontation with him. She did the only thing that came to her mind. She dropped the floor, out of his line of vision.   
She heard him mutter "Elizabeth is probably in the bathroom." She waited a few moments and cautiously looked across the bed. She gasped.  
Then sighed. Laurent had gone back to sleep but now his face and torso was visible. The sheets were pushed down to his waiste and was probably trying to give Elizabeth a heart attack... or horomone attack.   
As of the moment, it would be the latter.   
What would it be like to wake up to that view for the rest of my life? She had to get out of that hotel before the rest of her body became traitorous. Quickly and quietly Elizabeth got dressed in record time. She spied his umbrella against the wall. It iis/i raining and he won't need to use it, for now anyways. Elizabeth reasoned while she grabbed the umbrella as she opened the door of the suite and went into the hallway. The good thing about hotels is that their doors don't sqeak. She thought as she made her way down the corridor. She stopped infront of the lift and then decided to use the stairs instead. Wearing the same clothes as the last time she entered the hotel will be hard enough to explain, not to mention being here this early.  
The stairs it is then. She turned back towards the stair well which is on the other part on the floor, so that means she would have to walk past both Princes to get to the well. And both rose early. She looked down at her wrist and saw the braclet that Jessica loaned her, sparkling in the flouresant light, now she knew that to get out of the hotel and bacxk to the bus will take a lot of luck. Elizabeth slowed to a tip toe and was able to get past Nicolas' suite and she almost got caught at Laurent's because she could hear him slamming a door, then a few seconds later let out a fast rush of french that she couldn't translate. Which was probably a good thing. Since she was so close to the well she broke out into a run and yanked the door and started down the well. Luckily she was wearing boots, or she would have tripped, several times. At some point she gave up the stairs and used the lift the rest of the way. Luck really was with her because the attendant at the desk was dozing and didn't see a disleveled blonde woman go past him carrying a large black umbrella. Outside the hotel she opened the "borrowed" umbrella and stepped out into the aggressive rain.   
"Elizabeth." she had walked about a 1/2 block when her name was called. She froze and turned.   
"Anne." Elizabeth greeted her found friend. "What are you doing out in this weather?"  
"I was dropping my portfolio off at my agent's." Anne took in her friend's appearance.  
"That's cool you're an artist." Elizabethsaid lamely.   
"Do you want to talk about it?" Anne asked Elizabeth. She didn't have to mention why she wanted to talk. It had to do with the fact that Elizabeth looked like she just rolled out of bed, or should she say, iwho's/i bed.  
"Sure, can you give me a ride back to Bennet Hotel?"   
  
"She's gone."   
"What on earth are you talking about Laurent?"   
Laurent paced the length of the sitting room of his hotel suite. He stopped and looked at the broken vase lying in the fireplace. The result of his finding that Elizabeth wasn't in the bathroom.   
"Elizabeth Wakefield, she isn't here. She was but when I woke up she wasn't in the bed..." Laurent trailed off knowing that his mouth has runaway with him.   
And by that look Prince Nicolas gave him. "I said too much."  
""The heart has away of controlling those type of things." Nicolas smiled at his son. "I know you love this American girl, even after being apart for nearly a decade. Go after her, don't let her go again, Laurent. This is your second chance to get her back."  
"What about the luncheon with the Winsdors?" Laurent was referring to Elizabeth II and her family. Ever since Diana was killed..." Laurent's own mother died when he was 10, so when Princess Diana was killed in 1997, Laurent kind of became a big brother so to speak to William and Harry.   
"They will understand." Nicolas stood up and ushered his stubborn son out the door.   
Standing out in the hallway Laurent smiled. Eight years ago his father would have done anything in his power to stop Laurent from being with Elizabeth, and he almost succeed too. Now Prince Nicolas was telling/ ordering him to find her and not let her go.   
And that was exactly what he was going to do. 


	7. Thoughts and Realizations

Elizabeth paced the length of the tour bus. She raked her hand through her messy blonde hair then pulled it into a messy bun and held it there with her pencil. She mentally ran through the events of the past 24 hours. It was absolutely unbelievable that she did all that. The way she acted just in Laurent's suite. Where did sensible, calm collected, serious, dedicated Elizabeth Wakefield go? The Elizabeth Wakefield she is or was wouldn't have done the stuff she had.   
"You're in love, Lizzie we all get out of character when we are in love." Elizabeth jumped at the sound of Jessica's voice. Elizabeth flew around and faced Jessica who was standing in the doorway of the bus. Elizabeth realized that she must have been talking to herself.  
"How long have you been there?"   
"Long enough to know that you're completely head over heels in love, but you don't want to admit it."  
"What makes you think I'm in love?"   
"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie, I am in love, and I know the signs of true love. Remember eight years ago right after you met Laurent? You slacked off, smiled at the worst time and loved enough to win from that bitch that he was engaged to."  
"Yes, but-"  
"No buts Liz, you're still in love more now than ever before, because of what happened last night and you know it, if you were being your self you would have never left that bed. Hell, if I were you I would be the princess de Sainte-Marie."  
"You would be what?" A deep male voice broke in.   
"Hi Nick." Elizabeth greeted her brother in law.   
"Hey Liz, now Jessica, what is this talk about being the princess?" Nick turned his soulful green eyes lovingly toward his wife.   
"Liz, Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie, last night, sex, history, he asked her to marry her, she refused for more boring than plain toast Todd Wilkins."  
"Oh, ithat/i Laurent. Oh, I see. So what are you going to do about it?"   
"I don't know."   
"I heard him in his room when I left this morning, he didn't sound very happy to know that I wasn't there, next to him."  
"Well duh," Jessica said slyly flopping down next to Elizabeth on the couch. " Men don't like to know that a woman has the energy after that sort of thing, Trust me I know this from i a lot/i personal experience." Jessicaw winked at Elizabeth but her attention was on Nick. Elizabeth watched the lovers share a look only the lovers could comprehend.  
i That could be me/i Elizabeth realized with a start. That ishould/i be me. She got up from the chair that she had flopped down into during her conversation with Jessica. She squeezed past the lovers and opened the door of the bus and stepped out into the mist. A cold wind blew through the air makiing her shiver. Too bad she didn't have a handsome black haired blue eyed prince to give her jacket. Well she would have one, if she weren't so...what? Why does she run when the relationship takes a turn towards the future?   
"I"m afraid of the future." Elizabeth whispered into the wind. "I'm afraid of could happen. I think I have always been afraid of Laurent and what could happen between us." She left the bus and walked around the perimeter of the hotel. She breathed a deep sigh and watched her breath on the wind.  
"You know its not good for authors to be out in the cold with out a jacket."   
Laurent! That was the first thought in Elizabeth's head, until she realized that the voice that talked was british. Elizabeth turned around.  
"Hello Max." Max Pennington, basically, the English Laurent, but not like him at all.  
"I wanted to see you yesterday at Books On The Wall, but my schedule wouldn't allow it, I wanted to be there. It's been a while. "  
"Yea, it has. Actually we're leaving in about 15 minutes to start up north."  
"Leaving London so quickly heh?" Max chuckled and Elizabeth took in his profile. Brown hair and honey brown eyes that would make any girl go absolutely crazy, well accept her now.   
"Yeah, my life is nuts. What are you doing here at Bennet Hotel?"  
"I'm here to see my sister-in-law."  
"You're WHAT!?!" Elizabeth was taken by surprise, she shouldn't have been, but still it was unexpected,,,  
"My sister in law, Jennifer Davis, she taking my daughters for night. I'm married and I have twin daughters Katherine and Kelley, They are 6 months old. Do you want to meet them?"  
"I'm happy for you Max, I'm sure your countess is a woman worthy of you."  
"Yes, I love her very much."  
"Max, we need to hurry up." A woman with long brown hair called from the door.  
"Coming, Cynthia." Max turned back to Elizabeth, "that my wife, we need a night together."  
"I understand, it was good to see you again, Max." Max drew her back into a hug and whispered into her ear.  
"Go back to Laurent, you need him very much, don't let the past repeat itself. Marriage is a wonderful thing."  
Elizabeth looked at him as if a third eye appeared in the middle of his head. "How did-"  
"You should never talk to yourself, its a bad habit to get into, good bye Elizabeth." Max turned and went in the direction of his wife.   
"I always liked him." Jessica came up behind her.   
"So did I." Elizabeth sighed, "I'm sick of running from the future."   
"Then go and claim what you're afriad of. Besides," Jessica gave her signature smile. "I'll keep George occupied, you better take Ryan though."  
"Good idea. Thanks Jessica."  
"Remember this when you're the princess." the twins hugged and the love sick one ran to the bus.   
"Ryan!" Elizabeth knocked on the wall next to Ryan's bunk.  
"Elizabeth! What's wrong?" Ryan put down his copy of Anne Rice's The Queen Of The Damned. Ryan was a huge fan of vampires.   
"I need you to come with me to the Four Season's Hotel. I'll explain on the way." Elizabeth turned and started to leave the bus when George blocked her exit.   
"You can't leave the bus, we're leaving in a moment. There won't be enough time for you to talk a walk. Jacob is putting the last of the luggage onto the bus, then we are off and out of London."   
"You have got to be kidding."  
"Elizabeth I do not "kid" about anything."   
"Is everyone on the bus?" All of them turned to the bus driver.  
"Yes, Jacob." George answered.  
"Alright we have a long drive ahead of us."  
"Jacob," Elizabeth broke in.  
"Yes," he turned and looked at her.  
"Can you make a pit stop at the Four Seasons Hotel? I need to speak with a frie- someone." Elizabeth would not call Laurent her friend.   
"Sorry, princess we don't have the time."   
As Elizabeth made her way her way back to her bunk different thoughts ran through her head. I Maybe it's a good thing that I can't go back to the hotel. I have no clue what I would tell him anyway? /I Elizabeth climbed into her bunk and picked up her hand held mirror and gazed into it.   
She hated what she saw. Or what she didn't see. She didn't see the Elizabeth Wakefield who was in the top 3% in her high school and college class, she didn't see the responsible, calm, always rational Elizabeth Wakefield. Who she saw an immature girl who looked like Elizabeth Wakefield, but was obviously not her. The girl in the mirror was afriad of the future, who acted without thinking, without being rational, irresponsible. If the girl in the mirror was responsible, she wouldn't have snuck out of an hotel room at 6:30 am. She wouldn't have been in the hotel room at all.   
""I don't know who you are, but you are not Elizabeth Wakefield." She said to the mirror. "You the immature, unrational, irresponsible, not thinking correcting girl, you are gone for good." Elizabeth tucked the mirror back into her backpack and pulled out her copy of " The Phantom Of The Opera" and layed down and started to read. It started raining, but Elizabeth was too wrapped up in the novel to notice. 


	8. A Stranger In My House

"DOES IT EVER STOP RAINING HERE?" Laurent growled stalking up to the window and glared out into the courtyard. "IT'S BEEN RAINING FOR A GODDAMN WEEK NOW."  
William leaned back into the leather office chair and watched Laurent pace the length of the library of St. James Palace. He had been like this for a week now. Ever since he came back from Bennet Hotel, he had been moody, reclusive, annoyed at the littlest thing, and when you actually saw the bloke, he was mumbling about some American author named Elizabeth Wakefield.   
"Why don't you just go to her." William broke into Laurent's grumbling/yelling.   
"I would, if I knew where she was."  
"You said she was a writer."  
"What's your point?"   
"I'm sure she has a website or her publisher will have a copy of her tour dates." William turned to the high tech computer. He typed in elizabethwakefield.com and her site came up. The reason he was doing this because he was tired of the moody french prince ruining his break from school. Anything to bring back the peace. William clicked on tours and press and brought up the schedule. "You're out of luck, her tour ended two days ago and I'm guessing she went back home to America."  
"What?" Laurent went over to the desk and looked at the computer screen.   
"What's the big idea anyway? It's just one girl, and American at that."  
"You obviously don't Elizabeth Wakefiled." Both princes looked up and Max Pennington.   
"You must be the Laurent. I am Max Pennington. How do you do?"   
"Fine, how do you know Elizabeth Wakefield?"   
"I"m sure Jessica Wakefield told you all about me." Realization came over Laurent as Jessica's words came back to him. 'Better get to her before Max does.'   
Max saw the look that came over the prince's face as he remembered Elizabeth's and Max's history. "You don't have to worry, I'm married and I have children."  
"What are you doing here Max?" William asked.  
"Well, you're father wanted to see mine, and Cynthia, my wife never saw the palace before, but I came for another reason, and her name is Elizabeth Wakefield."   
"What do you know about her?"  
"I do know where she is." Max said offhandly he walked casually over to a shelf of book. He picked up a book of poems by American authors. He opened the book and skimmed a random poem while keeping his eye on Laurent.   
"where the hell is she?!"   
"Please just tell him so I can go back to having somewhat of a normal holiday."  
"Where do you think she is?" Max asked, put the book back on the shelf and over to the huge map that took half a wall. "Where would a burnt out author go?"   
"Home. Elizabeth went back to Sweet Valley. At least that's where I rhink she still lives." Laurent rushed out the door of the library.   
"Horrible site isn't it?"   
"You think that's horrible you should see Elizabeth's face when she finds out."  
  
Elizabeth stared up at her bedroom ceiling. She was lying in her bed, the first time in four months, and yet she couldn't fall asleep. She turned over on her stomach. The first time in four months that she wasn't lying in a public bed where people have done god knows what. Or lying in a cubby hole in a moving vehicle. She didn't have to worry about keeping a stupid fake smile on her face while her hand cramps. She could lie here for as long as she wanted.  
So why in the name of that's all good and holy on this earth, why she couldn't fall asleep?   
She turned and glared at her alarm clock, 3:30 am. She sat up in her soft sheets and turned on the lamp. "Why me? Why can't I get one night of peaceful sleep? Just one night of no dreams, no moving bus, no hotels, just me and darkness?" She complained. "I haven't gotten a peaceful night sleep since before that party Lila Fowler threw for me Jess the eve before we went to France, eight years ago. A girl can become grumpy from no sleep for eight freaking years, well that night with Laurent-" Elizabeth groaned and shook her head, not even wanting to finish that thought. At that moment a loud crack of thunder shook the house making her jump. Raining just like that night.   
"Are you trying to tell me something?" Elizabeth asked to no one. The answer was another crack and the sound of rain beginning to pound against her windows. Lightening flashed and thunder grumbled. She sat there listening to the storm and an extremely loud crack of thunder hit her ears and her house, flooding darkness into her room.  
" Oh, shit, the power went out. This is soo not good." Elizabeth had never admitted this to anyone but she HATED storms and with the power out, she was damn frightened. Blindly she reached for her night stand and rumaged through the drawer to pull out af flashlight, she clicked it on and the light fluttered for a moment as if to decide to whether it wanted to stay on or go back to sleep.   
It decided to go the inbetween and stay on, but very dimly. Using the flashlight she was able to make it out of her room and out into the hall. The house was actually a mansion, that she had bought just about a month prior to going on the tour. It was very old was beach front. She always loved looking at this place when she was younger, it was very gothic and very interesting to look at. She always dreamed of living here and when she got the money she was able to buy it. It had been sitting empty for as long as she could remember. The reason for that was that the manor was said to be haunted.   
And now in the severe storm, she could see why people say that. Elizabeth shuddered and went back into her room to grab the matching robe to her satin pajamas. The outfit was the perfect shade of purple that looked perfect with her coloring. Going back out into the hallway she turned and headed towards the staircase that lead down to the first floor, she was on the second floor of the four story house. She made it down the staircase slowly and carefully. Reaching the bottom of the case she breathed a deep sigh.   
"Maybe I should put my bedroom on the first floor." Elizabeth pondered that thought. Elizabeth was so caught up in her thoughts of the storm, the house, and the ever present Laurent memories, she didn't see the shadow of the human move outside the window, that she was standing near. The old house was large and many bay windows around the area and she was standing almost directing infront of it. She turned left anddheaded towards the kitchen where she kept candles, oil lamps, and lighters. Just in the case of emergancy. And this was an emergancy.   
In more ways than one.  
Elizabeth moved down into the kitchen area and still didn't notice the figure outside in the pooring rain. If she had she would not have been there.   
Oblivious to it, she pulled out the candles and light one with her lighter. A few minutes later she had the fireplace going, and candles on every space avalible. She felt a little bit better having the needed light and warmth, these old places are very drafty and she wasn't exaclty "dressed" to deal with coldness. She laid down on her black leather couch and she felt really tired at that moment. She felt her eyelids to droop.   
A door open and shut.   
Her eyes flew open. She bolted off the couch, the storm was drowned out by the sound of her blood pounding in her ears. She quickly grabbed the closest thing that would cause harm, a fire poker from the fireplace.   
Thump.  
Thump.   
Thump.   
Foot steps, and the sound was coming from the kitchen.   
Thump.   
Thump.  
Thump.   
The intruder was in the hall, heading towards the livingroom.   
Elizabeth's writing imagination went into overload. It had to be a killer. Or a rapist. Or both. "I now wish I hadn't refused Nick and Jess's offer to stay the night." She whispered.  
She crept quietly towards the entry way to the livingroom and turned so that she hit the intruder with her poker.   
Thump.   
Thump.   
Thump.   
She wasn't sure if that thumping was her heart or the stranger walking. It was probably both. The sound was now right on the otherside of the wall.   
Her hands were sweating and gripped the weapon with all her might. She watched the head come into view then the body. As soon as she was behind him she swung with all her might. The person turned around and grabbed the poker jerking it out of her hands. She screamed in absolute terror.   
**Author's Note If, you want to know what's going to happen to Elizabeth, please send me feedback or I'll take my sweet old time getting the next chapter up. And just to let you to know, I'm going to be extremely busy next month and most of May. So if you want more, send feedback, click review and write a comment, I would pefer that but you can email me at phntmgddss@aol.com   
Happy Reading** 


	9. The Past and Present (maybe the future)

**Author's note** Thank you for the responses for "A Stranger In My House." And I appolgize for all the grammer mistakes I made while writing it. It was midnight when I wrote it so. That explains why I screwed up every other word and I posted without really looking it over. Anyway here's the next part to the story.""   
  
Another note when you come across this these two stars (**) I am referring to the Eddy Murphy movie "Coming To America". If you have seen the movie then you will understand to what I'm talking about, if not then ignore the astricks.   
  
Chapter 9 The Past and Present (maybe the future)  
  
Even though she was screaming she was surprisingly calm. 'So this is how I'm going to die. My regret is that I never told Laurent that I loved him.' She thought.   
"Elizabeth." That voice, she knew that voice. The intruder turned her to face him. She looked up into his face.   
"Laurent!" Elizabeth gasped and yanked away from him. Backing up a few feet, she got a good look at him. Soaking wet, in jeans, a black, shirt and a leather jacket. His hair was wet and sticking forehead. "You scared heaven and hell out of me."  
"I'm sorry Elizabeth, I did not mean to frighten you."   
"You are a jerk for what you did. An absolute jerk." Elizabeth punched him in the chest and turned away from him. She turned so that he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.   
"Elizabeth, I tried to get your attention from outside. I knocked on the door, window I even called your name hoping you would hear and reconize my voice. I saw that the kitchen door was unlocked so I came in. I honestly didn't mean to frighten you, I have no reason to frighten you."   
He came around and faced Elizabeth, he gently wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb. Then he wrapped her into a hug. "You need to dry off, let me get you something." Elizabeth broke out of his embrace and hurried into the hallway. She took a deep breath and headed towards the closet where she grabbed a very warm blanket and three huge towels which were nice and fluffy. She also on her way back to the livingroom, grabbed a robe that Steven, her brother gave her. It was too big for her but it would probably fit him perfecting. She reached the livingroom and nearly dropped the items she was carrying. Laurent had his back to her and oh, what a back it was. He had taken off his jacket, shirt and shoes which left a really nice sight.   
"Here, I brought these." Elizabeth dropped the pile onto a chair and turned to leave again.  
"Aren't you wondering why I'm here at 3:45 in the morning during a storm?"   
"Now that you have mentioned it, why are you here?"  
"Because you're here." Laurent said simply. All the anger she felt towards him, for scaring her melted away after he said that.   
"Here you need to dry off or you'll catch a cold."   
"I'll go and get something to drink." She turned and started to leave again.  
"I love you, I always will." She froze and her thoughts from a few minutes before came back to her. She never told him she loved him.   
'Now's your chance.' That little voice in her head said quite loud. ' Turn the hell around and face him.' It added.  
She turned to him. "I love you too." One minute she was standing on her own, the next she was in his arms crying, again. For the second time in 15 minutes. He tipped her head up and his down for a kiss that shattered Elizabeth's fears about the future.  
"I was hoping you did, my love."   
"Let me get that tea." She went into the kitchen and grabbed tea bags, glasses, and arrangement of different snacks and a pitcher of water.   
"Here, let me get that." He took the tray off the counter and grinned at her.   
"I can carry that all on my own."   
"I know, but why when I'm here."   
"It's called independence." They argued all the way into the livingroom.  
"Here, you can make the tea." Laurent put the tray on the mantle.   
"Gee, thanks." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and smirked at him.   
"Smirk again, and I'll the tea, and you will sit on the couch and wait there, looking absolutely beautiful in the purple satin.   
Elizabeth smirked and picked up the pitcher.   
"That was a smirk, sit down Elizabeth." Laurent had a mock angry look on his face.  
"No it was a half smile." She denied.   
"I know the difference between a half smile and a smirk. And you Miss Wakefield gave a smirk."  
"So what if I did? What do you plan to do about it?"  
"First I'll make the tea and then we'll disscus your 'punishment'."  
"I'm so scared." Elizabeth teased him gently.  
"Good, because you should be." She could hear the playfulness in his voice.   
She began to leave the livingroom. "Where are you going?"   
"I'm going to put on something warmer."  
"There is no need, I like that on you."   
She shook her head and curled up on the couch and watched him heat the water with the aid of a candle. What are you doing here?"  
"I came here to find you."  
"How did you know where I was?"   
"Your website said that you lived in Sweet Valley, so when I found that out, I caught the earliest flight out of London to L.A. Where I then got in touch with the LAPD."  
"And Nick is on that force." Elizabeth finished his story for him. "And it just so happened that Jessica was there and the rest is history."  
"How, did you know?"   
"Jessica is my sister. And she's been planning this for ever now."  
"To get us together?"   
"Exactly."   
"I need to remember to thank her."   
"Why were you ouside in the rain, with no umbrella?" Elizabeth accepted the cup of tea from Laurent. He sat down next to her.  
"My umbrella was stolen out of my hotel room in London by a sly little blonde thief."  
"Oops." Elizabeth felt her face heat up to practically the same temperature as the mug of tea   
"It's alright."  
"You're not made at me?"   
"I could never be mad at you. Why did you decide to live here?"  
"I loved this old house." Elizabeth confessed, "ever since I could remember. Whenever I went to the beach I would look at this place from the distance and I would fantisize about the people who lived here. This place had also been empty for 50 years."  
"Why was it empty for such a long amount of time?"  
"There is a local legand that people know. It's never spoken out loud that much, it's something that doesn't need to be said. The gist of the legand is that this manor, which is called, Blackwell Manor, by the way, is haunted." They fell into silence, drinking the tea and muched on the chips she had brought from the kitchen. The storm was still raging. "How long are you going to be here?"   
She asked changing the subject.  
"As long as I need."  
"That's not very clear, Laurent."  
"I'm going to be here as it takes to get you to agree to marry me."  
  
The Next Morning  
  
Elizabeth stepped out onto the patio. The house was beach front so the patio had a set of stairs to lead out into the sand. Elizabeth followed the stairs and buried her feet in the still damp sand. She stared out at the pacific, it was a grayish blue that lingered after that storm. She looked down the beach both ways and she realized that she was lone. She glanced up at the sky and smiled.   
"It's going to be a beautiful day." She walked up to the water's edge and waded mid calf into the cool water. She turned and faced the manor, and thought about what Laurent told her. That he will be here in Sweet Valley until she said yes. She needed a walk. She went back into the house and took the stairs up to the second floor where her bedroom was. She walked quietly into the room not wanting to wake him up. The only thing that had happened last night was that she kissed him on the cheek after he declared his intention and she went up to her room to lay back down, a few minutes later he had came into her room and laid down next her.  
"Nothing is going happen." She said bluntly.   
"I don't want to be by myself."   
After he wrapped his arms around her she had fallen asleep and slept peacefully through the rest of the storm.   
She grabbed her cd player and a couple of cds.   
"Where are you going?"   
Elizabeth jumped and turned around. He had his arms resting behind his head and was sitting up watching her.   
"I was going for a walk down the beach, I'm not fleeing the country." Laurent began to say something, "Alone this way I can start planning my next novel." Elizabeth grabbed a pair of sneakers and socks.   
Laurent got out of the bed walked over to were she was standing. He was clad in only green silk boxers.   
GOD. DAMN. HIM.  
He tilted her head up and kissed her on the nose. "I guess I don't have to worry about a hotel." He whispered.   
He was too close for her comfort.   
"I won't be here you return from your brain storming walk." He continued. "I'm planning something for you, so I'll be busy for today."  
"Ok," Elizabeth thought of something, " can you even drive?"   
"Yes, I can. I may be a prince but I can do things for myself. Including tying my own shoe laces." **   
"I never said that you could ty your own shoes." Laurent kissed Elizabeth for the second time, by this was on her mouth. It was a full kiss that sent shivers down her spine and a tingling feeling in her belly. "I'm going for that walk now." Elizabeth turned with socks and sneakers in hand and high tailed it out the room and out of the manor.  
  
Laurent watched his object of affection run out of the room. "I wonder how long it will take her to realize that she forgot her cd player while escaping me?" He wondered. A minute later Elizabeth came back into the room looking pissed off. She grabbed the pack and hooked it around her waist.  
"Shut up." She grumbled.   
"I didn't say anything."   
"No but you thought it." She looked up at him. "You sir, are a royal pain in the ass. And I mean that litterally." She turned around and left the room.  
He walked over to the balocny and let him self onto it. He watched her pull her hair into a ponytail and then bounce off into a run onto the deserted beach.   
He chuckled. " So far I have slept with her, pissed her off, several times in a short time, made her smile and she said she still loved me. All in the short time we have been back in each other's life. I'm giving it a week, until I go back to France... with Elizabeth by my side."   
  
While he said those words a small voice of reason said quietly, "Don't count on it." 


	10. A Dangerous Game

Elizabeth's walk became faster and faster as she moved down the beach and way from the house. Soon she was running, she pulled her hair out of the practical ponytail and let her long blonde hair fly behind her. She raced down the beach enjoying the free feeling of flying. For once in the past eight years she didn't think of him or anything. She only concentrated on the run.   
A few minutes later, she slowed down to a walk breathing deeply. She stopped completely and looked around. She had ran a couple of miles without really noticing. The shore at the manor was very smooth and even. Now the beach turned jappged with boulders on the sandy shore. Elizabeth looked down at her watched and saw the time was 3:30. She had been out for 3 hours now.   
That explains why she's hungry and thristy. She didn't want to go back to the manor yet so she climbed onto one of the boulders and stretched out on large flat one.   
Laurent's words came back to her as she laid there. He was there to get her to marry her. Not if she had something to say for that. She wasn't ready for marriage yet. Especially to someone from her long past who was dragged into her life, litterally. She loved Laurent and she was iin love/i with him. But how can he expect her to be ready for marriage. She's less sure now than she was when he first asked her. Elizabeth sighed and turned over onto her stomach. She pulled out her Jekyll and Hyde : The Musical original cast recording and put it on track # 25. A Dangerous Game. That song expressed how she felt about Laurent. This was a dangerous game they played and she isn't sure who's going to win. She put the song on repeat and let the song float into her head.   
  
A Dangerous Game ( J&H by Lucy and Hyde)  
  
I feel your fingers  
Cold on my shoulder  
Your chilling touch  
As it runs down my spine  
Watching your eyes   
As they invade my soul  
Forbidden pleasures   
I'm afriad to make mine  
  
At the touch of your hand  
At the sound of your voice  
At the moment your eyes meet mine  
I am out of my mind   
I am out of control  
Full of feelings I can't define!   
  
It's a sin with no name  
Like a hand in a flame  
And our senses proclaim   
Its a dangerous game   
  
A darker dream   
That has no ending  
That's so unreal   
You believe that it's true!  
A dance of death   
Out of a mystery tale  
The frightened princess  
Doesn't know what to do.  
  
Will the ghost s go away?  
  
No-  
  
Will she will them to say?  
  
No-  
  
Either way there's no way to win  
  
All I know is, I'm lost   
And I'm counting the cost  
My emotions are in a spin  
I don't know who to blame...  
  
It's a crime and a shame  
  
But it's true all the same  
  
It's a dangerous game  
  
No one speaks   
Not one word   
But what words are in our eyes  
Silence speaks   
Loud and clear  
  
All the words we don't to hear  
  
At the touch of your hand,   
At the sound of your voice.  
At the moment your eyes meet mine  
  
I am losing my mind  
I am losing control  
Fighting feelings I can't define  
  
Its a sin with no name  
No remorse and shame  
Fire fury and flame  
  
Cos the devil's to blame  
  
And the angels proclaim   
Its A Dangerous Game  
  
The music played in her head, but she really didn't hear them. How do you know when you are really ready for marriage? As in ready to give up all you have worked for, to give up in your freedom in way that you will never again regain. How could she refuse him again? Would she, i could she/i refuse him, if and when he asked.  
Elizabeth heard a noise behind her. She sat up and turned away from the ocean. Jessica was climbing onto the boulders and was coming closer. She was wearing blue jean shorts and a dark pink tshirt. She had a backpack with her.  
"Hey." Jessica greeted her.   
"How did you find me."  
"That twin thingy told me to come here with refreshments. So here I am. It really is a beautiful day."  
"Yea, that it is." Elizabeth turned off her cd player and accepted the bottled water Jessica handed her. It was really cold and hit the spot. She downed half the water. "Thanks I needed that."  
"No problem, so I heard you got a visitor last night."  
"And he scared the shit out of me."  
"What he do?"  
"He sneaked in, and the power was out and I was absolutely terrified. He applogized for the scaring though. And I spent last night in his arms."  
"It seems everytime you spend the night with that man, a storm is going on." Jessica pulled out food and more drinks from the pack. " Think about it, in France you came apon his cottage in a storm. In England you went back to his hotel suite and it was raining then. Both of these times you didn't leave until the morning and didn't sleep a wink. And you just confessed you spent the night in his arms."  
"Unlike what happened in England, we didn't have sex."   
"So what DID you do?"  
"We talked and made and he made tea, then I went to sleep, he came up a few minutes later and laid down. I told him nothing was going to happen between us and we fell alseep."  
"That's it?"  
"That's it."  
"You know what's funny?" Jessica said a few minutes later.  
"What?"  
"We never told are parents or friends what happened that summer. Mon and Dad don't know that you are currently being courted by a prince."  
"Or that you fell in love with a thief?"   
"Hey, I thought he was a duke."  
"Dukes don't sit in the second class."  
Countess' and their spawn daughters do."  
Elizabeth laughed at that. Going from Paris to the to the chataeu they had to ride the trian. Well on that same train was the Countess Di Rimmini, and her daughter Antionia, (Laurent's ex fiance, the fiance that Elizabeth won Laurent from.) were forced to sit in the second class across from Elizabeth and Jessica. Elizabeth tried to talk to them all she recieved the brush off because they were the new au pairs for the family and the Countess considered the twins beneath her and her daughter.  
Elizabeth smiled a self satisfied smile. She won in the end. The smile faded. And then gave up her Prince Charming for the bullfrog. The Prince is back, should she reclaim her prize?   
"Liz, mom and dad know Nick, you might wanna go over there before you go back to the manor. Tell them the story of you and Laurent, its long past due."  
"I know."  
"I'm going over there right now."  
  
* 20 minutes later Calico drive.*  
  
"Look Steven and Billie are here."  
"That's really helpful Jess."  
"I thought so."   
The twins walked up the path and Elizabeth took a deep breath. "This will be harder than I thought."  
"The sooner the better."   
Jessica led the way into the house and for the next 15 minutes they were on the recieveing end of hugs and kisses from their family.   
"So what brings you here?" Alice Wakefield asked brightly.   
"There's something we need to tell you." Elizabeth started haughtly. "And all that I ask is that you let us tell you the entire story before you make a comment or statement."  
"Or lecture." Jessica added. Together Jessica and Elizabeth told the real story of what happened that summer with the de Sainte- Maries' and brought the story up to the point of them coming here.  
"That... is.... quite.... a.... .story." Ned Wakefield said slowly still taking in the amzing tale. "And you said that Laurent is here in Sweet Valley."  
"Yeah, and here's to get her back." Jessica helped.   
"When are we going to meet the Prince?" Steven asked.  
"I don't know." Elizabeth told her brother who was two years older than her. "All I told him this morning was that I was going out for a walk down the beach. And that was." She looked at her watch "5 hours ago!!" Elizabeth pulled her cell out of her cd pack. She dialed the number and let it ring, she left the den. She went over to the staircase and sat down as Laurent picked up the phone.  
"Elizabeth Wakefield's residence."   
"Laurent its me."  
"Elizabeth! Where are you?"   
"At my parents' house."   
"Are you ok? I looked for you everywhere."  
"I'm fine, my parents want to meet you." Together they decided that Laurent would bring her a change of clothes and then he would take her to the surprise. She told him where her keys were and the directions to the house. He promised to be there in a few minutes.  
"You'll love it." He assured her.  
She smiled into the phone. "I have no doubt."   
"I'll be there soon, cherie."  
"My parents can't wait." They hung up and Elizabeth waited there on the stairs. A while later she heard her blue convertible come up and turn off. Her heart started pounding and jumped up when she heard the knock. She took another deep breath and opened the door. Laurnet stood there holding a dress in a bag and looking absolutely WOW was the only the only word Elizabeth could think of. Dressed in black dress pants, white turtle neck with long sleeves he looked casual and completely elegant at the exact same time.   
"Welcome." She said as Laurent leaned in to kiss her gently.  
When he pulled away he handed the bag. It said Chanel on it. "Here, he said as Elizabeth brought him into the house. "This is for you."   
She knew it was brandnew but it didn't need to be said. "Thanks, just to warn you my brother, dad and sister in law are all lawyers. Be prepared."   
"I am used to being interograted."  
"I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing."  
"Both." He laughed and let her lead him into the den with the awaiting lawyers.   
"Everyone this is Laurent." 


	11. Meet The Family

Elizabeth breathed a deep sigh and shut her door. She was in her old room. It brought back a lot of memories. Tonight she wanted to make a new memory. She opened the dress bag and found a dress fit for...  
Fit for well a princess.  
Elizabeth hung it up in the closet and went into the bathroom joining her and Jessica's old room. She hopped in the shower, she even used the bodywash and shampoo she found in the bag. It smelt of lavender and roses. So when she got out of the shower she felt like she was back in the garden at the chateau. She went back to her old room and slipped into the floor length dress. She turned to the mirror almost afraid to see herself. She gasped. The floor length midnight blue velvet dress clung to all her curves, even bringing out some she never knew she had. The dress was sleevelsss, the dress was tied behind her neck and left the back open. The body hugged every one on her curves like a second skin and just barely touched the ground. Elizabeth stared into her reflection.   
Laurent was not exactly being subtle with her. This dress screamed royalty. She quickly took the dress off and laid it down on the bed. She couldn't wear that. Laurent was bound to be reconized and in that dress, well people talk and what happened eight years ago will become public. It was hard enough telling her family what happened. She grabbed a white terry cloth robe and went to the stairs from the top steps she could hear the interogration.   
Laughter. Elizabeth blinked. Why laughter?  
"That is quite amusing, sir." Laurent's voice rang out merrily.  
"I've been gone for only 20 minutes and all the sudden Laurent and my father are friend?" She whispered. She had thought her dad would give Laurent a hard time. She should have left then and go and put on that blue princess dress but she continued to sit there and listen.   
"So what are you doing here in sweet Valley? Hopefully not trying to steal my Elizabeth from me."  
Laurent chuckled. "If lady luck is with me, then that exactly what I want to do. The last time I tried to marry her she ran back to Sweet Valley, so if I ask her here in Sweet Valley, where's she going to run to? France?"   
Laughter was heard all around the room and Elizabeth felt her face flush. She stood up and went back into her room. And was greeted by that princess dress. That was the only dress she had here, and she didn't know anything about doing fancy dressy stuff.   
A smile curled her lips. But she knew someone who did.   
She went over to her door and went out back over to the stairs. She yelled from the top step. "Jess, I need you." Elizabeth shouted over the conversation down in the den. Laurent was talking about the Estate General* and the.... What Elizabeth heard was "blah blah blah" will I have to understand every little thing about politics when we are married? She wondered. She firmly shook her head. We ARE NOT getting married, she corrected her wayward thoughts.   
"What did you need me for?" Jessica climbed the stairs, giving Elizabeth a break from her traitorious thoughts.   
"Come and see what Laurent gave me." Elizabeth went back into her room and held up the amazing dress for Jessica's inspection.   
"Oh My God, its absolutely stunning. Did-"  
"Yes, he got it for me. It shocked me to the core."  
"He isn't exactly being subtle is he? It looks like a dress."  
"For a princess, I know." Elizabeth slumped down onto the bed and put her head into her hands.   
"I know what you need me for." Jessica smiled and went into her room by the way of the bathroom. She emerged a moment later carrying a large make up kit and what looked like a suitcase.   
Jessica's emgerency supply of make up and hair supplies.  
"Jessica, you're only making me look presentable, you're not doing the hair and make up for the "Lady Marmalade" video." Elizabeth said dryly watching her demented twin sister set up her work place .   
"No but I am doing the make up and hair of the next Princess de Sainte- Marie." She turned to Elizabeth blow dryer in one hand and a heavy duty comb.   
Elizabeth groaned and muttered. "What in the hell have I gotten myself into?"   
  
*20 minutes later*   
  
What's taking so long? Laurent wondered silently as he made a quick glance at his digital watch. it was 6:00 and Jessica had been up there for quite a while. He was getting worried that they wouldn't be able to do what he wanted to do.   
Jessica appeared at the enterence to the den. She whistled and was able to get everyones attention. " I have worked nonstop for the past 20 minutes and I want you all to see my finished product, my best work if you ask me." Jessica stood there for a moment then two.   
"Hold this thought for a moment." She turned and voices could be heard at the top of the stairs. It went something like this:  
  
Jessica I am not going downstairs looking like this.  
  
Why not? This is my best work.  
  
I look like you!  
  
You look like a princess  
  
I think that was the main idea of this dress.  
  
It's something that JESSICA WAKEFIELD would wear, not ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD what would George think if he saw this?   
  
Nothing he wouldn't reconize you. Now if you don't get your butt down there, then I will.   
  
Fine.  
  
Everyone turned as Elizabeth entered the den. 


	12. Passions Are Mounting

**Authors Note: I forgot to do this on last chapter "Meet The Family", becuase I was in such a hurry to get the new stuff to my reviewers :). Some of you might not know what the Estates General is, well the Estates General is France's version of America's Congress and England's Paraliment (sorry for my miss spelling) some of you might know what the Estates General was before this, so you can consider this a review :). Anyway Since I have 11 chapters up, I have been thinking of an ending to this story that has brought me so much joy these past few months. I could end this in a few chapters from now or I can extend for a very extended story. I want to use both if I could, but it is only one story and I can't use both endings so when you go to review this chapter *wink wink* could you tell me which way you want me to go? Short and Sweet or Long and Loving. I really need you guys on this.**  
  
Elizabeth pulled her seat belt over the dress, careful not to wrinkle it. She leaned back into the passenger seat of her jeep. Laurent started the jeep and pulled out of the driveway. He hadn't said anything when she came down into the den. Probably because everyone else was saying enough for him. All he did was take her arm and led her out of the house and opened the door of the jeep for her. Elizabeth's mind wandered her memories to come up to one where when she and Todd were dating. Whenever he came to pick up her up for a date, he never held the front door for her or open and close the car door when she got into his BMW. Laurent on the other hand had perfect manners and did all of that and so much more for Elizabeth. And the only thing he wanted in return was to marry her so that he could do that for the rest of their lives. Not a bad deal.   
"You looked absolutely stunning." Laurent's gruff voice broke through her thoughts.   
She blushed. I had nothing to do with it, it was you and Jessica."  
"No, Elizabeth, it's completely you." Was it her imagination or was Laurent's voice thicker than it was before? Probably her imagination. But still.... the thought lingered in her head.  
"So, where are we going anyway?"   
Laurent stopped the jeep at the red light and looked at her. "It's a surprise." He took her hand and kissed it gently.   
"Laurent." Elizabeth broke the strong silence.   
"Ma cherie?"   
"The light is green." She pointed out. He went back to driving with one hand and the other one laid gently on her hand. Todd never did that either. Elizabeth thought. Infact none of my other boyfriends had absolutely perfect manners and behaved like a perfect gentlemen.   
That's if you forgive him for that stupid act he pulled during the storm last night. Elizabeth settled back with her thoughts and didn't notice that the jeep stopped until he opened the door for her again. He helped her out of the jeep and Elizabeth looked around. They were at Secca Lake.   
"I used to come here when I was younger with my family, we had a lot of fun her. Great family memories." Elizabeth said as Laurent led her over to a shaded area under the huge weeping willow next to the lake.   
Elizabeth gasped in delight, a complete picnic was set up under the tree. There was wine, cheese bread, pasteries, ham, chicken, soda, fruit and chocolate in the little cooler that held the drinks.   
"Do you like it?"   
"I love it, I can't believe you did this for me." Before she could stop herself she met his lips in a sweet kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and held her there as he deepened the kiss, going from a short sweet closed mouth kiss to a deep sensual kiss. They broke apart and were both breathing hard." I think we need to eat." Elizabeth gasped and sat down on the cloth covering the ground. Laurent sat down next to her.   
"Thy these." He held up a plump, ripe strawberry. Elizabeth reched for it, Laurent pulled the strawberry out of reach. "Open your mouth." She arched an eyebrow but did what he asked of her.   
"Mmmmm. This is one of the best strawberries I have eaten." Elizbabeth said after swallowing. Together they ate the feast Laurent had set up.   
After eating Elizabeth went to the shore and gazed out into the sunset. Lauent sat back against the trunk and watched her. I never should have bought that dress. He thought letting his gaze travel over her silioute in the setting sun. The dress clung to all the right curves, and in his curent state, that wasn't a good thing at the moment. A smile flitted over his face at the shocked look that's going to be on her face when she sees what he has planned tonight.  
This picnic was the apitiser. The main course is tonight at the place. Desert may come later. He groaned. That thought should have never came into his head. Horrmones are something that should have stopped years ago, they should not be raging inside him.   
"So now what?" Elizabeth brought him out of his thoughts as she came back to the tree.   
"It's a surprise."   
"Will I enjoy it?"   
"I hope so."  
  
*Sea Star Dinner Theatre*   
  
Can I take off my blind fold yet?" Elizabeth touched the black velvet gently.   
"Yes, you can." Laurent grabbed the ties and pulled the blind fold off.  
"Why are we at Sea Star Dinner Theatre?"  
"Well I heard that they were putting on a new musical and I was curious. Apparently it's on Broadway and has won many awards." They got out of the jeep and that's when she realized that there were very few cars here.   
"Wait a second," she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Sea Star doesn't have a musical playing right now. They are still in reherasals for," that's when it hit her. "We are going to watch a private performness of Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, aren't we?"   
"Maybe." Laurent turned his head but not fast enough, becuase Elizabeth caught that smile.  
Elizabeth was shocked, she wasn't expecting this, an entire musical just for them. "Is it the entire musical or just a few select songs?  
"It will be the entire musical, just for us, instead of a packed house."  
"But they do dinner here, why the picnic?"   
"So that I couls have some private time with you and that they wouldn't have to worry about making anything."  
She smiled up at him. She was moved so much by him, she had always been completely moved by him, and she probably will always be moved him. She leaned up and he met her lips in a sweet kiss that foretold of their future. They walked up into the theatre. It had a victorian feel to it, with love seats on the walls near the double doors in which they came into. The walls were a beige color and left wall was an old fashion counter with a ticket booth.   
"Your Grace," the host greeeted Laurent, "Princess, its lovely to see such a beauty here." Elizabeth blinked in shock, PRINCESS?   
It had to be the outfit, she wouldn't execpt any other reason.  
"Oh, I'm not a princess," she tried to deny it but the host had turned his back and was speaking in a low voice to the woman who was in the ticket booth.   
"Exellent." The host turned back to them. "If you come with me we can get this show started, the cast has been extremely ancious to be able to perform for the prince and princess." He led them down the hall way that came from the right of the lobby.  
He said princess again, was it that obvious? Damn dress. Elizabeth silently fumed as he led them down into the stage area it was a square area and coming from the back wall covering most of the floor. The tables were on levels and surrounded the stage. The stage it's self was small and was raised in the back of it. The host who was named "Derek" and was not that much older than Laurent, he led them to a table on the ground, directly infront of the stage, perfect view of the actors. Laurent thanked Derek and pulled out the chair for Elizabeth, and then took the chair across from her.   
She smiled at him. He reached for her hand and kissed it lightly.  
"Have you ever seen the musical before?"  
"Not live," Elizabeth admitted. "I have seen the video version starring David Hasslehoff. I loved it and I have both the video version and the soundtrack to it."  
"Well then, I am sure to enjoy it." As soon as Laurent said that the lights went out, the darkness flooding as the actors got on stage for the first scene. Soon Elizabeth was enraptured in the play, forgetting everything execpt the actors and the man that sat across from her.   
Before she knew it Edward Hyde had finished his song ALIVE and set the bishop on fire. The lights came up and she blinked not once but twice, awakening from the trance she was in. The actor, David Gray came down the two steps that led from the stage to the floor. He came up to the table.  
"That was absolutely wonderful," Elizabeth breathed. "I actually believe you were Edward Hyde."  
"That was wonderful." :Laurent echoed.   
"Thank you." David said kindly. Which was quite amusing because he wassstill dressed as Edward Hyde. His hair (wig) was down, stringy, glossy and hadn't been brushed. His clothes was a long fur coat of dark color, dark trousers, and a bloody white shirt.   
And of course, you couldn't forget the cane. Which he held in his left hand while he extened his right to Laurent.   
"It humbles us to perform solely for the prince and his-"  
"Elizabeth." Elizabeth broke in before he couls say princess. "Elizabeth Wakefield."   
"Ah, the author and sister of Jessica Wakefield."  
"You know Jessica?"   
"Of course. I met her through her husband Nick. He is good friends of my twin brother Cody."  
"Cody Gray, a former policeman if I remember correctly." Elizabeth smiled, "it's wonderful to meet you."   
"I have to get into the back, we all need a few moments to rest our voices to really wow you in the next act."  
"We cannot wait." Laurent said. They watched him return to the stage and go into the back. He turned back to Elizabeth. "Why did you stop him from calling you princess."  
"Because I am not one."  
"Not yet anyway."  
"Why do you automatically think I'll marry you?"   
"Because you are in love with me, just as I am in love with you." To prove his point he reached across the table and attached his mouth to hers. "Actions always speak louder than words my dear." He whispered when they pulled apart. He tangled his hand in her hair, which was curled and pulled into a ponytail with was held by a clasp that had faux diamonds on it. He held her head so that their foreheads grazed each other. He kissed her nose.   
"Ever since I came down from my old room your voice has been deeper. Why?" She whispered.   
"When we get home, I'll show you why."  
Elizabeth gulped. You would have to be deaf and blind not to see and hear the promises in his voice and in his intense blue eyes. She wasn't a virgin or anything, but it wasn't like she had a lot of experience in that field of expertise. He kissed her again, slow and soft.   
"Is it me or is it hotter in here?"   
"Elizabeth, before the night is through we will be consumed by the fire."  
  
**Author's Note** I'm a big stinker aren't I? I mean leaving you off right here right before Elizabeth gets to respond to Laurent's words. If you want the next part all you gotta do is click the review thingy and tell me what you think of what I have done. And don't forget of what I said up at the top. I am a vampire and you are my blood. I can't live with ya. 


	13. The Ride Home And More

What the hell have I gotten myself into here? Elizabeth wondered with his mouth on hers. They pulled away as the lights went out and the opening notes of the MURDER MURDER which is the song that opened up the second act. This is where Hyde goes on his killing spree. Thanks to Laurent she couldn't get back into the play. Her mind kept going back to those words he said to her. She shivered and he looked over at her and smiled that all knowing one. She turned back to the play, but the images of the night flew through her mind. What saw in her mind made her blush. She felt his eyes on her, burning a hole in her and making her whole at the same time.  
That also made her blush.   
Oh, she thought. I wish I never went to London. Elizbaeth sighed and played with her hair twisting it in her fingers. Yeah, right, another part of her said. You know that's false. You have been enjoying his company and you know that you will never be able to live with out him. So you might as well give up the ghost now because you will say yes to him. She shifted and picked up her water. Taking a big gulp she looked back at the play.   
"Bad news from God, Teddy." Hyde snaps the neck of one of the hypocrytes and gives off this evil laughter. The cast continues with the song MURDER MURDER and leads to its conclusion. She was able to shut off her mind from the battling thoughts. She flashed a weak smile at Laurent. She watched through "Once A Upon A Dream" and "In His Eyes", "A Dangerous Game" was next. As the actress playing Lucy Harris, Venessa Dante started singing. She felt Laurent talk her hand. He rubbed little circles in her palm, sending little bolts of electricity through her body.   
God Damn him. Elizabeth said silently. She tried to pull her hand out of his but no luck. Elizabeth sighed and enjoyed the play.   
Before she knew it the play was over and she basically missed the second half, and all because of Laurent and his promises. God Damn him. She thought again as she met the actors. She automatically went into meet the people mode that she mastered meeting people. Autograghs were handed out equally. By the time they got out to the car, Elizabeth was tired and yet energized at the same time. She looked at her watch, 12:30 am.   
"I didn't know it was that late." She said as an offhanded comment.   
Laurent glanced over at her. Did I cross the line earlier when I said that? He questioned his words for the thousandth time. He started the car and pulled it out of the near empty parking lot. He turned onto the highway and headed towards Blackwell Manor. Elizabeth had slipped into silence and was deep in thought if her facial expression was any clue. He and Elizabeth had been thrusted into each other's lives with out their consent. Now he never wanted to leave. He knew that even before she came to him in the dark of the storm. Hell, he knew that even before Prince Nicolas told him about the American au pairs that were coming to the chateau. Twins, his father had said, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefiel, identical twins that were 16 and coming from Sweet Valley a small town about 45 miles south of Los Angles, California America. Laurent sighed. Eight years later he sat in a jeep in Sweet Valley with Elizabeth in the passenger seat. Destiny had a funny way of working out.   
That spring his father had told him about the au pairs, his father had also set up an arranged marriage between him and Antonia. Laurent wasn't one to throw temper tantrums. But for a month after he was told about this, he became the hellion that he sworn never to be. He threw things, stormed around the palace.   
No one could came near him because he would have bitten off their head happily. Soon he accepted his fate and was ready as he could be to live a life that he hated. While he was hiding from life out at his little cottage, an angel appeared in the form of a very beautiful a very wet and miserable au pair who called herself Elizabeth Wakefield.  
"How did you become an au pair?" He broke the silence.  
"My dad mentioned that an opening for au pairs for the de Sainte Marie's was open. All Jessica heard was a summer with an actual royal family. Jessica in record time put together an impressive resume and she was hired but becuase she was 16, she set her sights on me to take the other postition. It took her weeks to talk me into it. I gave up an intership at a high fashion magazine and had to leave Todd Wilkins, I'm sure Jessica mentioned him, which was something I didn't want. Lila Fowler, the daughter of the Fowler Enterprises, and Jessica's then bsetfriend held a going away party for us and then Todd broke up with me." Elizabeth smirked "I told him I will never come back to Sweet Valley, that I will stay in France forever."  
"You said those exact words?"   
"Something along those lines."   
"He break your heart?"  
"Yes, he did, but my heart healed at a dream I had on the plane to Paris."  
"What was that?"  
"I was in a field of flowers, I became lost in the flowers, I realized that I was lost. I heard a noise and when I looked up and saw a guy on a white horse ride up to me . He had black hair and blue eyes. He pulled me onto the horse and rode off into the sunset."  
"Why am I just now learning that you had a dream of me?"   
"Did you ever dream about Todd?"  
"No."  
"And yet you still won't marry me."  
  
*Blackwell Manor*  
  
Elizabeth tugged the clasp out of her hair. Her curly blonde hair came down and fluffed around her shoulders. "My hair looked like it was electricuted."   
"It's not that bad. I like being able to curl my fingers in your hair." He buried his hand into her mop of curly hair. One minute she was sitting on the vanity chair next minute she was in Laurent's arms.   
"Oh-" was the only thing she could get out before his mouth came down on hers. She opened hers and his tongue made its way to hers. She moaned and melted. The kiss became deeper and deeper. His mouth traveled to her neck and she clung to his back dearly. If she didn't she would crumpled onto the floor of her bedroom, in a quivering mess. He picked her up and laid her down on the bed. With his eyes he asked the all important question, "do you want this?"  
She answered by pulling his shirt off. He groaned and the fire that was threatening almost un noticed for eight years came up and consumed them whole.   
Elizabeth shuddered and felt his hands everywhere at once. His mouth followed his hands. Her head was spinning and damnit she didn't him to stop. His mouth came onto hers, with their hands they removed their clothing tossing them this way and that. In the haze that became her mind she knew there was something she should remember...   
"Ooohhh." His mouth hit a sensitive spot. She moaned and looked around the room. Her eyes landed a little bottle. The realization hit her of what was about to happen if she hadn't remebered her birth control pills. She hadn't taken the one for today. The time in England, she had taken one before she went to the bookstore and had taken one after on the bus.   
"Laurent, stop." She said.   
"What's wrong?" He was kinda out of breath.   
"I gotta go to the bathroom." It was easier to say that then "I need to take my birth control pill because I don't want you to make me pregant so then you will have a reason to make me your wife." He rolled off her and Elizabeth got out of bed. A cool wind blew in from the balcony and brought her senses aware of her nakedness. And the fact that his eyes were on her.   
She grabbed her robe.  
"Don't cover up on my account. I've already seen you naked." Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder and caught that naughty smile he sent her. He was sitting with his back against the head board and had his arms behind his head.   
Don't look down, she kept telling herself as she looked at him.   
"Weren't you going to take your birth control pill.?" He asked innocently. "Yea I know Elizabeth. You don't have to keep that a secret from me."   
"I know I just didn't want to say it because it would have came out wrong." She went into the bathroom and took the pill quickly. When she came back out into the bedroom. He had a smirk on his face and eyebrow raised. It was one of those faces that makes you go up to him and slap him silly.  
He knew this too. "Are you coming back to bed anytime soon dear?"   
"You sir, are very annoying to be around."  
"Good, I like driving you wild. Now come here and let demostrate how I'll drive you wild. "  
Elizabeth took the robe off and joined him back on the large bed. "Is that a promise?" She mumbled into his mouth.  
"Damn straight." 


	14. Never Put Jessica And Laurent In The Sam...

Elizabeth opened her eyes to an over cast morning. Normally the bedroom becomes bright with sunshine, with it coming in from the bay windows and the balcony. The sunlight reflecting off the hardwood in the room, taking her back in time for a moment. To the early 1900s. She turned over and faced Laurent. Laying there she watched him sleep. What they did last night....   
She blushed. She did not know she could do THAT. They must have tumbled in around in that bed until at least 5 am. She lost track of well everything except for him. In response to her thoughts he threw his arm over her stomach and pulled her close. He buried his face into her hair. She listened to his slow deep breathing. He was sound asleep, dead to the world. She tried to lift his arm from around her to get out of the bed. It's not that she didn't like it there, it's just that she wanted to get a shower. That hair stuff that Jessica was so intent in putting in her hair to get it to curl, was making Elizabeth's head itch. She couldn't scratch it becuase Lauernt had taken over her hair basically. Besides she needed to think.   
Trying to wiggle out of his embrace is now out of the question. She thought a few minutes later after trying to get out of the bed. There was only one thing she could do.  
"Laurent?" She said softly.   
No response.   
She turned and faced him. "Laurent?" She raised her voice a little bit. She shook him a little. He muttered something and pulled her closer.   
"LAURENT!" Elizabeth yelled. The prince bolted up, obviously still asleep. He had let go of her and that was what she wanted.   
"Eliabeth, what's wrong is there an intruder?" He was fully awake now.   
"No."  
"Was I talking in my sleep?"  
"No..."   
He turned to face her." "What then?"   
"I needed you to let me go. I wanted to go to the bathroom and you wouldn't let me out of the bed."  
"That last time we made love you ran out of the country, so this time I was prepared."   
"I didn't run- Oh never mind. I'm getting a shower." Elizabeth rolled out of the bed and her feet hit the cold dark wood floor. She walked to the bathroom. "Alone." She added and closed the door. She laid her head against the door. She was way over her head in this relationship. She was in deeper than she ever thought possible. "I love him." She said, "So why can't I give the answer he wants?" She walked the space of the bathroom which use to be the other chamber in her suite. When she first bought this house, her bedroom used to be three huge rooms, and a bathroom. She turned the already bathroom that was here into a large walk in closet. She turned the smallest of the large rooms into a bathroom that was spacious and warm. A huge shower was at one end of the bathroom that was surronded by glass. On the other end was the jet tub that was settled under a bay window so that she could watch the Pacific. She turned on the shower and let the water to get hot. Even though she should be taking a COLD shower. Getting the water right she stepped in and let the water attack her sex- sensitive body.   
"What am I going to do?" She questioned herself. "The first time, in London could have been excused by the storm and having not seen him in several years. An attack of homones, if you will. You couldn't count the first time as a commitment of any sort. But the second time, and it was uher/u who inacted the act. All he did was kiss her and play her on the bed. He paused and let her make up her mind about wanting to take the final step. Instead of acting like Elizabeth Wakefield, she responded by pulling his shirt off none too gently. She put a glob of shampoo into her hair and washed thoroughly.   
She sighed. Mentally she went back to that night when she was first agonizing over his proposal. She said no becuase she wanted to create a name for herself, to be able to become successful on her own right, as Elizabeth Wakefield, not Princess Elizabeth de Sainte- Marie. She accomplished what she wanted, and that was to become a noted author. She did that with Second Chance. She's on the New York Best Sellers List and has even the toughest critics singing her praises. She had her own house, job, car, and everything she ever needed.   
Except for love. And Love himself was in this house.   
She turned off the shower and stepped out grabbing a towl to dry off she walked into the bedroom to get something on. Laurent was not in the room. She really should have relieved that he wasn't in here.   
She wasn't.   
  
He looked so good stading there in a pair of boxers. Really really good. Elizabeth stood there not making a sound, watching him make them breakfast. She smiled. He was really beautiful. I wonder what our children will look like. She thought. Instead of feeling bad about that she felt kinda warm inside about the idea. Does this mean that she was growing up and actaully concidereing saying yes?   
She was actually concidering yes. And it didn't fill her with fear. It's a dangerous game and she prepared to play and win.  
"I didn't notice you were down here."  
Elizabeth walked into his open arms. She lifted her head and met in his a kiss.   
"What are you cooking?" Elizabeth walked to the old fashioned stove.   
"Breakfast, your favorite." Hisarms snaked around her waist, she leaned into jis chest and lifted her head. Their lips had just settled on each other when a voice interupted the peaceful moment between lovers.  
"Get a room."  
Just because of that, they took their sweet time pulling apart. Elizabetrh, still in Love's Embrace looked up towards the door.  
"Hello Jess."   
Jessica came down the steps and into the sunken kitchen. "Hey Liz....Laurent," she arched an eyebrow at his sleep look. She turned that same look at her sister. "I see you two had sex last night."   
Jessica was never the one to be subtle.   
"Well, duh." Elizabeth responded to her sister.   
"Well anyway on an related topic, Liz, I need to talk to you. " She sent a look at Laurent. "Alone."   
"I'm cooking."   
"Come on Jess we can talk up stairs." Elizabeth wiggled out of his embrace. With out Elizabeth there to block him, Jessica could see his black silk boxer shorts. Without saying anything to him, she followed Elizabeth up the kitchen stairs.  
Laurent watched the two leave the kitchens. He just smiled to himself and turned back to his eggs before they burnt.   
  
"What's the matter?" Elizabeth asked as soon as they were in her chamber.   
"Nothing's wrong, infact everythings iright/i." Jessica sighed.  
"Now you lost me."   
"Lizzie, I'm pregnant." Jessica sat down on the messy bed and glanced around at the clothes covering the floor. She got off the bed and walked over to where the blue dress was laying and ran her hand over it.   
"That's wonderful." Elizabeth embraced her twin, with the dress still in Jessica's hands.   
"I know." I found out last night, I wanted my twin sister to be the second person to know."  
"How did Nick handle the fact that he was going to be a daddy?"  
"He was so happy. " Jessica did her trade mark smirk. "You're not the only Wakefield twin to get some last night."   
"Jessica, what makes you think that Laurent and I had sex?" Elizabeth felt her face heat up inspite of herself.   
"Elizabeth, look around. So what are you going to do now? Once could be chalked up to an excitment and horomones. The second time means committment."  
"I know. I think I'm ready to face the future."   
"Good, because you have a nice future down in the kitchen cooking you breakfast." Jessica helped Elizabeth make the bed and put the clothes in the shoot that drops them off at the laundry room. "How many women can bragg that they have their very own personal Prince Charming?"  
"Who cooks, might I add." Jessica added.  
"If I remember correctly it was iyou/i who wanted a fairytale romance with a prince."  
"Yeah and he fell for you, Liz. Just like every other man who doesn't follow the crowd."  
"Remember Devon Whitelaw? I wanted him but he wanted you."  
"JESSICA!" Elizabeth spun to meet her sister dead in the eye. "Laurent IS NOT Devon. Devon is a coward and he almost had me killed, he took credit for someone else's good deed, he was a complete bastard."  
"What did this Devon do to you?" Elizabeth did not have to turn to see Laurent standing there. She had no idea how long he stood there or how much of the conversation he had heard.  
She honestly didn't care.   
"Liz, I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned him, he's not worth the effort. " She directed her next words to Laurent. "He was a stranger that came into town and destroyed a lot of the relationships. I had a crush on him but he wanted Liz. When our 17th birthday party was hit by an extreme earthquake, he took the credit for saving Liz's and her then best friend Enid's life. It all goes down hill from there, so to speak."  
"He came back once during our softmore year at college but then he was." Jessica pointed her   
left index finger at her left ear and turned it in a clock wise motion.   
"Ah so he was nuts."   
"Exactly. Nice underwear." Jessica finally commented on Laurent's nakedness. "So when are you going to pose the big question?" She smiled sweetly and innocently at Laurent.  
Elizabeth dropped into her desk and rubbed her temples with her fingers. She groaned loudly enough for the two to look over at her.  
"I'm going to need Excedrin. 


	15. Peace Before The Storm

The blank white screen gazed right back at her. Elizabeth dropped her head onto the desk. She was sitting in her study, which was one the second largest room in her chamber. With her bedroom as the largest, the bathroom the smallest and her personal private study as the middle room.   
Two weeks. Laurent has been here for two weeks now. And she hasn't been able to write something, anything that worth not using the backspace. She sighed. For the past two weeks she has been avoiding George because of her writer's block. She looked up and her gaze fell on Laurent, who was at the moment reading Phantom, that book she had bought at that second hand bookstore in London. She couldn't honestly believe that he was still here in Sweet Valley. He really wasn't kidding when he said that he was going to stay here until she agreed to...  
Concentrate! She told herself sternly returning to the screen. Still, it feels just like they were married. A quiet moment in the private study with her working on her next work of heart and Laurent reading.   
A quiet moment between husband and wife.   
"Are you alright love?" She gazed up at his voice.  
"I can't seem to get down a single word worth keeping." She told him honestly. There was no reason to keep the truth from him, he was too shrewd not to see behind the lie.  
"Why do you think that?"   
"Because it's the truth."  
"Does it have anything with me here?"  
"I honestly don't know even if you weren't here I would probably still be looking at a blank screen."  
"How long are you going to be here, I'm sure Catherine, Nicolas, Peirre, Manon and Claudine miss you like crazy."   
"Well I miss them too, but I have been around them for the past eight years, you I have not. I have enjoyed our time together with out anything or anyone getting in our way." She smiled and closed out her writing program, she didn't have to worry about saving anything. She stood and stretched. "If George knew I have been avoiding my writing he would never let me hear the end of it. He also would also have a heartattack knowing that I was shacked up here with you."  
"Shacked up?"   
"Closed off to the world. Kinda like what you did at your cottage."  
"Ah, I still don't quite understand the American Slang."  
"That's surprising knowing how many hours you watch Mtv."   
"But yes and now I can name every member of the Backstreet Boys."  
"That's not a good thing for a 26 year old prince to know."   
"Claudine would be happy to know I can do that."  
"Is she into the Backstreet Boys?"  
"She's 13. What do you expect?"   
She smiled. "You got me there."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too." She laid her head on his chest and he kissed her head. In the past two weeks Elizabeth was able to come to an understanding with her self about her feelings for him. After she had a heart to heart with herself, Jessica, her mom and Laurent, she was finally able to get over self and now she was simply enjoying the feeling of his arms around her and his lips in her hair. She finally stopped fighting and decided to let the celestial forces of the universe lead her. And this is apperantly where THEY lead her. And she wasn't complaining. Not at all.  
"Elizabeth,"  
"Yes?"  
"If I asked would you say yes?"   
"I don't know."  
The blessed phone started to ring. Elizabeth tried to get out of the embrace to answer it.   
"Leave it."   
The machine picked up. "Elizabeth, I need to talk to you. As soon as possible." George's annoyed voice came through. Elizabeth was able to get through Laurent and picked up the reciever.   
"George what's the matter?"  
"Where have you been?"   
"Home."  
"With whom?"   
"Why do you think I'm with someone?"  
"Because you have been seen around Sweet Valley with a dark haired PRINCE!" He shouted the last word.  
"What's your point? It's my life." Very aware of the subject being able to hear the conversation she wanted to move somewhere more private, but the subject wasn't having it.   
Following her down to the first floor, Laurent was going to hear at least her side of the conversation.   
"Are you forgetting something George? iyou/i work for ime./i If I want to take a break I will."   
"Fine. I'll come into L.A." Elizabeth pressed the talk button and sat the phone on a table in the hall.   
"What's the matter?"   
"I need to go to L.A today and talk with George." She kissed him. "I have no clue why I let him boss me around like that. Even if I talk the smallest break off he throws a fit and tries to have a heart attack. I know it's wrong but sometimes I imagine him becoming sick, just so he will give me a few minutes rest."  
"Will you come homw tonight?"  
"Yes I will, good because I have something special planned."  
"You always have something planned."   
"Tonight it's a special occasion."  
  
**George Hatter Agent and Management**  
  
Elizabeth opened the door to George's air conditioned office and walked up to the secertary. "Hello Miss Wakefield. George is quite ancious to talk to you."  
"I'm sure he has quite a few words for me Alice." Elizabeth said dryly. Walking past the desk and down the hall to his office. Taking a deep breath she prepared for the battle that was going down.   
"George?" Elizabeth opened the door and George looked up from what he was doing.  
"Elizabeth. How nice of you to come here."  
"You asked me here."  
"And you know why I wanted you here."  
"It's about Laurent isn't it?"   
"Elizabeth. have a seat."He sighed and pointed at the seat. Elizabeth took the seat and stared at George. "Look, I would normally support the choices you make concerning your love life, but I must insist that you break off all ties to the Prince."  
"Don't call him that. Call him by his name, Laurent."  
"Elizabeth," George rubbed his eyes and purched himself on the desk infront of Elizabeth. "I have your best interests at heart. The best interests of your career. And the best thing is for you to stay completely way from anyone who could add to your name."  
"So you want me to completely cut all the bonds I have with the man that I love for what?"  
"For your career. You are alienating your male readers."  
"Why would it matter that I have a boyfriend or not?"  
"It's not good for appearence to be seen with royalty."   
"Why not? I thought most people would use the title of ibprince/i/b to futher their career."  
"Yes, but Elizabeth the majority of readers of your book are 18 through 30 year old males."  
So, the truth finally comes out." Elizabeth said bitterly. "That's why you wanted to know everything about my past with Laurent so that you find a way to keep us apart so I can keep up my isingle/i appearence." Elizabeth drew herself up to full height, all the pieces together in a perverse puzzle. "You are saying the only reason that my book was bought was because of my looks isn't?"  
When George didn't deny it she continued with more emotion than she thought possible.   
"So in order to make sure my male audience stays interested in my body, not my writing, you want to keep me from being with my soulmate. So that you will get more money."  
Goerge pailed at that. Yet he didn't deny anything.  
"That's what it's all about isn't? Money. You want to sacerfice my happiness for lousy money. That's also why you sent me on that hell tour for several months. I know that you get paid for every appearence I do."  
"If it wasn't for me, Miss Wakefield you wouldn't be an author. For as long as you remember you wanted success with writing. Well I got it for you. Without me YOU wouldn't be here. And yes, I want to keep you and the prince apart ever since I saw him being dragged by Jessica across the bookstore floor. He would have caused the down fall of my career. Miss Wakefield this has never been about you. It has always been about me and my career as a manager, I needed a pretty young thing with talent to "discover" so that I can redeem my self in the face of the agent world. It didn't matter if you could write or count only to ten with your fingers. All I need was your precious looks to flaunt to the media."  
Elizabeth was seeing red. She couldn't believe it. The George she trusted with her only dream, was using her looks for his purposes only. The back of her eyelids started burning as gazed with pure hatred at him.  
"YOU GODDAMN BASTARD." She screamed and slapped him hard on his fat cheek. "You forgetting that I hired you. You make your money from me. You are fired from being my manager."  
"You can't fire me. We have a contract. You belong to me."  
"Not anymore." She whispered taking the contract off the desk and through it into the fireplace. She smiled hard as the flamed licked at the tasty morsel. She turned back to him.  
"You burnt that copy of the contract but they are other copies, the original is safe. You still belong to me."  
Elizabeth didn't want to do this but when the choice came down to it, she knew what she wanted.  
"In our contract there is a clause that I can use, when you pushed harder than what I wanted to do, you broke the contract." Elizabeth turned and walked to the door, but not without slapping George hard on the face.  
"I quit writing, find yourself another tooddie." Elizabeth slammed the door on the way out. 


	16. Alive

**A/N I wanted to clear up some questions I had recieved in an review. (BTW, thanks for all the wonderful reviews). The first question is that Elizabeth never dated an earl in the svu books. In that particular subject I was referring to the Elizabeth series. Which was a six book miniseries where Elizabeth runs away to London and becomes a kitchen maid for the Earl Penningtom and his family. Max was Earl Pennington's son. He asked Elizabeth to marry him in the last book. She ofcourse turned him down. You will have to read the entire miniseries to completely understand the situation. It sounds, to me that you never read the trilogy about Laurent. Anyway he proposed to her, thats the only two proposals I know of, maybe you know more. And about Todd, I know that they became close to enemies, I am pretty sure that you are referring to the Senior Year series. I mentioned that she dated Connor but I lost interest in that series. I wouldn't have metnioned it but I had to have something to connect from the time in France to College. I am basically using the story line that they went from the summer to SVU skip the rest of the stuff, well I did bring up Devon Whitelaw. Until I read the review that was posted. I didn't think that I made Jessica sound like a twit or Elizabeth act like an old woman. I also saw that the reiew was posted after ch. 2 so I suggest that you read through the rest of the chapters then make your judgement. If after that you decide that Second Chances Only Come Once A Lifetime isn't for you then choose a story that you can understand better. But thank you for looking at it and reviewing.   
Now that's out of my system, enjoy chapter 16 and please don't be afraid to reivew. **   
  
  
  
  
Elizabeth sighed, she had never felt so free, so ialive/i in an extremely long time. She turned her head up to the cloudless blue sky. She wanted to sing with happiness. She didn't realize it until now, but that book deal added so much pressure. It felt good just to be there and not have to worry about a deadline or a press meeting. In a couple of hours she will realize what she has done, but for now she felt that she could do anything she wanted.  
And that she wanted to do was go to Laurent. She walked to her jeep and climbed in. She turned on the cd player that already had the J n H soundtrack in it and set the cd player on Alive! She even sang to the song, badly but she felt too good not to. Before she realized it she had turned onto her driveway.  
She turned off the jeep and walked out. She brushed the wrinkles out of her slinky blue-green linen dress and walked up to the door.She stopped right before she could open up the door and turned back and got into her jeep. Something really special was going to happen tonight and she could feel it. She pulled out of the drive and went to a small beautique. She had seen the most beautiful white dress there and she wanted no ineeded/i to have it tonight.  
She walked inside and directly over to the semiformal dresses.   
There it was. In all its glory. It was pure white that hung right about mid thigh, The straps criss-crossed in the back and had a halter top look to it. She pulled it off the rack and brought it to the cashier. She pulled out her credit card and rang the dress up. This was very risky, the dress was $300 and she just tore up her contract up. She shoved those thoughts out of her head. Any other day it would have bothered her, but not today. Today she was going to act her age and make a crazy buy, no more acting like an old lady. She was 24yrs old and now she was a 24yr old with a hot dress. Plus she had a wonderful man who was absolutely crazy about her waiting at home. Smiling she took the box that the dress was put in and went back to her jeep. She pulled out and went back home. This time she was singing to one of the songs called "Someone Like You."  
She pulled back into the driveway and made her way with her package up to the double oak doors. She opened the doors and went into the foyer. She walked to a vase sitting on the high table next to the wall. She pulled a rose out of it and breathed in the scent. She carried the red rose with her as she made her way into out through the house to the backyard.  
She had beach front property, but she also had a small side yard where she relaxed. She stopped and smiled, silently watching Laurent, who was out there, in the yard. He was kneeling at her little garden and was pulling herbs out of the garden. He stood up and turned and smiled. Elizabeth put the box on the yard table.  
"So how did the meeting go?" He smiled and pulled her into a hug. She lifted her head for a kiss.   
"I'll give you the short version. I quit writing."  
His eyebrows came together. "Why? Writing was your dream."  
"Well. I realized that some dreams aren't all they are cracked up to be."   
"So now what?" Laurent followed her into the kitchen area.  
"I have absolutely no clue, but now at least I have the possibiltites."   
"So why did you quit?"   
"Your not going to drop the subject are you?"   
"For as long as you have known me, when have I ever dropped a subject?"  
"Point taken. I'll tell you what, lets make a deal tell me what you were doing with the hersbs and I'll tell you why I quit."  
"You first."  
"I gave it all up because George was just using me to pull himself out of the gutter, and the only reason in his opinion why my book sold was because of what I look like not because of what I write. The reason he wanted to see me was becuase of you, we wasn't happy with the fact that we have been together. He never liked the fact that we have history. So he told me in order to continue..." Elizabeth recounted her meeting with George. By the time she was done, she had never seen his face so dark, so angry. Without saying a word, Laurent turned on his heel and stomped to the door. "Where are you going?"   
"To have a nice conversation with your ex manager."  
"Please don't." He stopped and turned to face her. "Nothing about you is nice when it comes to things like this. You'll make it worse than what it already is."  
"You're right as usual, Elizabeth." He sighed and took her back into his arms. "It's just that when he said those things not only was he talking to you, but also to me."  
"So what were you doing with the herbs?"   
"I was going to cook dinner with the herbs."  
"At least you are staying out of trouble, while I on the other hand screwed up the dream I have worked my butt off for my entire life. But for some reason, I don't regret anything I have done until now."   
"That is good, why don't you go up and relax and I'll cook dinner."  
"You are truly an amazing person Laurent, and I feel so lucky to have you in my life."   
"I feel the exact same way, my love." Elizabeth headed up into their chamber and stretched out on the bed. Her eyes drifted shut.   
She opened her eyes again to see Laurent sitting on the bed. "How long have I been asleep?" She questioned.   
"About two hours."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't be there is nothing to be sorry about. Dinner is ready."  
  
**On the roof of Blackwell Manor**  
  
"This was absolutely wonderful. And so romantic." She sighed and gazed out into the ocean. Darkness had completely fallen with the moon shining brightly in the midnight blue sky. The reflection of the moon in the ocean added a sense of mystery to the place.  
"You really might want to reconcider the name for this place, Blackwell Manor just doesn't seem to work anymore."  
"I know, it was fitting when I bought the place, but now that I hve had work down on it. It feels so much more lighter."  
"So what are you going to call it?"  
"I don't know."  
"Elizabeth when I was in my hotel room, in England, I saw you on the Tv, I made a promise to myself that I would not let you go,"Laurent took her hand and kissed kissed her palm.   
Oh god. Elizabeth thought knowing what was coming up.   
"Elizabeth, will you marry me?"   
  
i"I can't marry you." /i  
  
Her own words hit her in the face, the words she told him eight years ago. She said that because she had her own life in Sweet Valley. But now...  
"Elizabeth," Laurent's voice gently pulled her out of her memories. She looked deep into his blue eyes, and knew the answer. 


	17. Onyx, Moonlight and Answer.

Elizabeth looked into the mirror. Groaning she ran the brush through her hair harder.  
Yes.   
No.   
Yes.   
No.   
Arghff!!  
What in the hell is she suposed to tell him? She knew what she was suposed to tell him. It was a simple three letter word that would bind her for all eternity to the man, the lover,THE PRINCE.   
It really shouldn't bother her that he was a prince, it really shouldn't have mattered in their relationship, it didn't matter eight years ago, when they were on the private island. Back when they didn't have the press and other out forces between them, well except for Antionia and her mother.   
Other than them, it didn't matter that she was American and he was a Prince. They fell in love at that island which felt like a magical world away from her parents, Sweet Valley, away from everything. No they were trying to keep the relationship alive in the real world   
Its not that she didn't love Laurent, anything couldn't be farther from the truth. She loved him more than Todd, Tom, Connor and she will never love anyone as much as Laurent  
So why couldn't she say it?  
  
Stalking up and down the patio was not going to do him much good. He had been so damn sure that she was going to say yes to him. He was also damn sure that she was going to say yes. Before when he asked her the fiirst time, she had a vaiid reason for turning him down, no matter the heartbreak he had endured because of her decision. Muttering a pronfanity under his breath in french Laurent sat down on the steps. The steps that led from the grand old house to the ocean. HE squeezed his eyes blocking the rush of emotions that he knew was coming.   
When the van had pulled away from the chateau, he had been on the roof of the tower watching the scene below him. Elizabeth and Jessica were tearfully saying goodbye to his siblings. Even Nicholas and Catherine came out to say good bye to them. Elizabeth kept looking around as if she was wating for someone to come out and say goodbye. He knew he was being childish and the royal thing to was to come out and say goodbye to them, even if it was a forced effort. To say goodbye to someone meant that you were never going to see them again. So if he had said goodbye to her then, he would have never have had this second chance.   
Second Chances were hard to come by. So he had prayed and prayed, even though he was not religious. He was religious up to the point where she said no to him.  
How you could believe in a great and good higher being when your heart was shattered beyond repair at that point? The only thing Laurent felt, thought and knew was that he would never be happy again. He had avoided the press, his *friends* he came the notorious PHANTOM PRINCE. Which fit him just fine he had thought when he was dubbed that by the tabloids. He honestly didn't care.   
But now-   
Elizabeth wanted to say yes. He knew that much, he saw the love in her eyes. He felt the love between them the past couple of weeks when they were alone together in their own little world.  
Laurent lifted his head and met the white light of the moon.  
He loved and hated this feeling of having his life and love in the hands of Elizabeth Wakefield. This was his last chance to win her. He knew that for a fact, he was twenty-six years old. He HAD to get married. He got away with murder almost at eighteen becuase he was so young, but there was a line. He had to marry. Whether it be Elizabeth or a princess from another princepality.   
And Laurent really wanted to have Elizabeth.   
So what was her answer?  
  
Getting up from the vainity, Elizabeth still raked the brush through her hair. She moved out onto the balcony and looked out apon the black sea. The light from the moon made the water sparkle and wink knowingly at her. It mocked her with the black ripples and the light made the crests of the waves blue, so it in her mind the water was black hair and the crests were blue eyes looking at her waiting for the answer.  
A movement in the bottom of her eye caught her attention as she saw an all too familiar lean and muscled lone shadow walk out onto the beach. With the moonlight now focused on his hair too, Elizabeth felt almost too weak to stand up. Noone else ever had that kind of power over her. The figure was almost too powerful, yet almost too lonely. Knowing that invitible answer was hanging over their heads. A three letter word that could bind them for all eternity or an even smaller two letter word that would crush her heart and soul forever.  
Put that way it only seems like there is only one answer. So why can't she say the damn word? Looking back out at the figure, she felt the love in her heart, the feeling of wholeness that the man himself gave to her.   
"I am out of my mine and out of control." Elizabeth knew the words had floated down to him by the movement of body to look up at her. She saw the moonlight catch his smoldering blue eyes and danced off his onyx hair.   
Locking eyes with him, Elizabeth knew at that exact moment, that she could never live with out him.  
Elizabeth said something gently in her softest voice to him, turned and walked back into the bed chamber.   
A moment later, the gold colored handle on the main door began to turn. The door opned and Laurent stood there. 


	18. Mine Now and Forever

Staring at each other from opposites of the room, Laurent was the first to speak.   
"You said yes."  
"Yes."  
"First you couldn't say the word at all for eight years and now you've said the word twice within the space of a few minutes."  
"Yes." Laurent crossed the room smoothy. Taking a willing Elizabeth into his arms he muttered into her hair.  
"Is yes all you can say now?"  
"Yes." Laughing he swung her up in his arms and held her close.   
"I love you Elizabeth Wakefield."  
"And I love you Prince Laurent de Sainte Marie." She pulled apart slightly and looked into his eyes. "Your name is way too long."  
"I know. It's tiring to say and even more tiring having to write it out over and over again." He laid her gently onto the bed.  
Lying on the bed Elizabeth looked up at him. "I guess I'm going to have to start writing an extremely long name."  
"You bet. Especially when your future books hit the market. And become huge blockbusters."  
"No, remember I stopped writing."  
"You haven't stopped writing."  
"I tore up my contract with George Hatter."  
"You don't need George Hatter."   
"Then what? A husband who's a Prince?"  
"No, you don't me either." After saying that he joined her on the bed. Propiing him self up on one elbow, he brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.He leaned down and kissed her. "The first time you have called me your husband." He whispered. "But the only person that you need to have to write is you. Elizabeth. You never need that bastard who just used you further his own career.  
"Where's the Elizabeth, who slapped the hell out of me that one day?"   
"You deserved it, pig."  
"If I am a pig, then you are the pig's wife."  
"I'm not your wife."  
"Yet." He leaned down and kissed her. "I went through a lot to get you to say yes to me."  
"You're aggervating."  
"I know."  
"You're-"  
"The best lover you've ever had."  
"You're overconfident."  
"I'm allowed to be. I'm a royal."  
Elizabeth propped herself up on her elbows. "You have changed so much in the past years, you don't even act like the same Laurent anymore."  
"Everyone has to grow up sometime. My time to finally grow up came when you said no. I never quite realized that I was a spoiled little child, now I'm grown and ready to handle this." Laurent gestured to the two of them. "Us."   
"Us."  
"For now."  
"For now."  
"Forever."   
"Maybe." She smiled, "you weren't my only lover." He growled and pulled her down beside him, then rolled over so he had her completely under him.  
"You, madmosielle are crossing the line."  
"What's the big bad prince going to do about it-"  
  
Elizabeth stretched and punched the pillow, punching it again she turned her head and jammed her fist under the pillow. Still asleep, she calmed down with a sigh and became still once again. The blanket was covering her body up to her bare shoulders, covered only by her golden hair.   
She looked like the goddess she was. He watched her from the window, he let his gaze travel the length of her sheet clad figure.   
His.   
The only thought in his mind. Elizabeth Wakefield was finally and unquestionably his. It took nearly a decade to get her, but somethings were worth the wait. He turned back to the window, he couldn't sleep right now. Too much was on his mind. It's one thing to get her to say yes, its another thing entirely to get her- them to the alter. Half the battle was over, she said yes, now the hard part is starting. Knowing from prior experience, Elizabeth will be stubborn and she might she just might, he wouldn't put her past her, that she will try to break off the engagement.   
Not that he would let her, of course. He worked and waited to damn long to let her slip through his fingers again. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to her. She instantly rolled over and curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and laying her arm on his chest. She snuggled into his side and sighed deeply. He smirked, a possessive smile. By the way she reacted in her sleep, he would have no problem keeping her to him. He pulled his arm around her and closed his eyes.  
  
"I don't know." Elizabeth turned and faced her parents. She had gone first thing to her parents' house to tell Ned and Alice Wakefield what had happened in the previous night, "I love him, I know that for sure, but what if it isn't right? I don't want to make a mistake. I don't want us to be locked in an unhappy marriage. Only an even number of people can be happy in a marriage, zero or two. I hope to have the later."  
"Elizabeth, Laurent is a fine and decent man, it's obvious he loves you very much." Ned smiled at her. "And it's clearly obvious you love him also."   
"I knew something had gone on during that trip." Alice said softly. "When you came back you were so depressed and we, for the life of us," she motioned at herself and Ned, "we couldn't figure it out."   
"I was depressed." Elizabeth sighed and dropped down onto the couch next to her mother. "I knew had I had made a big mistake when I said no the first time. For the life of me, I can't even remember why I said no to him."  
"Then you shouldn't say no to him now, especially now that you dropped your book deal-" The front door crashed open, Jessica followed by Nick came breezing into the livingroom. Jessica stopped right in the middle of the room.   
"Sorry for interupting mom, but I think this is a sister thing. Nick, please put the bag in my old room, no wait put it in Liz's old room." She focused her attention on her husband. "Lizzie, will you come with me?" Jessica had already headed up to the stairs when she spoke. She turned and continued her trek to Elizabeth's old room. Elizabeth watched her sister and her brother in law go up the stairs. She inwardly sighed and stood up and followed Jessica, curious to find out what Jessica is planning. 


	19. Elizabeth and Laurent Make Dinner sorry ...

"What's so amusing?" Laurent wondered outloud as he stood next to a giggling Elizabeth. Standing in the kitchen of the manor, he put the knife down and turned his attention away from the carrots he was chopping. Elizabeth has been like this for the past two days now.   
"It was something Jessica did a couple a days go. she made this really funny chart pining you against every other male I have dated."  
"What made it so funny then? I know I'M not amusing."   
"I can't explain it. but you can be relieved to know that you came out on top."  
"A twin thing" He stated, dryly.   
Elizabeth nudged his rock hard frame with her elbow, "yes, exactly a... twin thing." She did started giggling again. Laurent watched her with an amused expression on his face with his right eyebrow slightly raised.   
"I am beginning to question your sanity Elizabeth."   
"Don't question MY sanity, question my sister's she's the one who made the CHART." Elizabeth deepened her voice on the last word and flung her arms around him. She grinned like the cat who had her paws in the forbidden cream.   
"You are grinning like the cat who got her paws in the forbidden cream."   
"The cat did get her paws in the....forbidden cream." Elizabeth whispered into his ear.   
"I'm beginning to like this cat...and her tastes of the forbidden." Laurent moved his mouth over hers then closed down hard and long. The half made salad and pasta for two was forgotten while the cat on the other hand got her paws in the forbidden cream that she so desperately needed.  
  
The dark shadow moved swiftly and silently into the alley. A rat squeaked and ran across the shadow's path. The shadow continued its journey down the alley to were the shadow matched perfectly with the others at the dead end of the alley. Stopping when it came to the end, it turned around and faced a dark hellhole. It lifted the cane it carried and brought it down once. The phantom turned quickly at the sound of foot falling on the cobblestone.  
The new shadow came up to a foot away from the first. The new figure pulled out an American paper that was dated two days prior.   
"So it is true." The original spoke with a voice full of hate. "The royal is marrying the rising writer."   
"Yes, the pair seems to have a romantic history."   
"Laurent was always unconvential, even as an adolesent."  
"This cannot continue. If I can't have Elizabeth Wakefield, then no one shall."   
"So we are agreed?"   
"Absolutely." A lighter was pulled out by the original and then proceeded to talk the balled paper ball the other one created and lit it on fire. The fire consumed the paper and the figure tossed it with its gloved hands to a building. The two left as silently and as quickly as they appeared.  
  
"I know that looking for maternity clothes aren't that exciting." Jessica said turning to Elizabeth who had big dopey grin on her face. "So why are you grinning like that unless you ....oh. It happened again last night didn't it?"   
"Yes."   
"What happened to the Elizabeth that I knew before PL?"  
"PL?"  
"Prince Laurent."  
"That Elizabeth didn't know what the future held in store for her. This one does and it's named Laurent." Elizabeth smiled and thoughts from last night went through her head.  
Elizabeth and Jessica were spending the rainy day in the Sweet Valley Mall, Jessica was looking through the maternity section of Lisi's, a chic maternity store that opened last month. Jessica pulled out a frilly bright green top.  
"What do you think?" Jessica asked holding the poor excuse for good taste up to her body. "Don't you think Antonia would wear it? It would look good with her red frizzy hair, and horrid long witch like nose?"   
Elizabeth laughed. "Didn't the Countess wear something like that before?"   
"Probably." Jessica put the blouse back on the rack. "I wonder what ever happened to them?"   
"You know I have no clue." Elizabeth said looking up from the black dress that she was looking at.   
"I heard that she got into trouble with her husband, who find out about her affairs.." Laurent broke in.   
Elizabeth turned around. "I thought you and Nick were refusing to come in here?"  
"I became bored."  
"That's easy to do with Nick."   
"But you never can be bored with Jessica." Nick said coming up behind Jessica. He caught her around the waist.   
"So, Laurent, what happened with Antonia."   
"Well, it was discovered that the Countess had several lovers through her marriage to the Count."  
"I can't imagine her with anyone much less several lovers."   
"I know, it isn't a nice picture to think about. She was banished from Italy and is now in Greenland. Antonia, she completely lost it when I broke off the relationship, I think she was married off to a duke somewhere. I'm not sure. I am sure, that she is putting him through complete hell." Laurent kissed the top of Elizabeth's head. "Thank you."  
"Why are you thanking me?"   
"You saved me from that life."   
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry." Jessica broke in.   
"I can actually do for some icecream."  
"I'm in." Elizabeth smiled. "Great."   
"What if I don't want icecream." Laurent crossed his arms.  
"Too bad. What the Wakefield Women want the Wakefield Women get."   
Nick and Laurent followed the girls out into the mall's corridor. "What can we do? We can't agrue with our women. Just love them." Nick said to Laurent.  
A noise broke out in their conversation.  
"Elizabeth!!"   
A small gasp. "Todd!!" 


	20. What A Day

Why now? Elizabeth wondered looking at Todd Wilkins. She didn't even try looking at Laurent, there was no doubt in her mind that Laurent didn't know who this Todd was. Pulling her gaze from Todd she turned to the high ceiling of the corridor of the mall and prayed that she was dreaming. This was the last thing she ever wanted.   
  
"Elizabeth, it's good to see you." Todd spoke to Elizabeth, but kept his weary gaze on the raven haired man with the ice cold blue eyes. The atmosphere around the stranger vibrated with undercurrents of emotions. Who ever this man was knew something and for that he despised Todd. Yet the man was vaugely familiar to him. He just couldn't place where he knew this man from...  
  
Laurent glowered at the man. He glowered because he was worried that he would start laughing and never stop. THIS was the man that broke up with Elizabeth, who broke her heart more than once. This Todd didn't even deserve to breathe the same air as Elizabeth. What did Jessica once call Todd? "Boring as toast Todd Wilkins, you are the best boyfriend that Lizzie has ever had." Jessica's bubbly words came back to him. Laurent almost smiled but then that would break the glare and there was no fun in doing that.   
"You look very familiar...have you been on television before?" Todd asked him. "By the way my name is Todd Wilkins."  
"I know who you are and what you have to Elizabeth on more than one occasion. I am Prince Laurent de Sainte- Marie." Laurent couldn't help but stress the Prince in his name. He rarely ever used the title but recently it seems all he was doing was using his title to scare people. His title and the fact that he can give a damn good ice cold stare. The one good thing that came out of the who mistake of an engagment with Antiona. Hmmmm, Laurent smirked, knowing that his next words were going to wipe that gloating look directly off Todd's face.   
"Elizabeth we must really get to the jewelers.. we still have the matter of getting your ring."   
Elizabeth looked up at him. "Ring?"   
"Yes, your engagment ring that I am giving you. Did you really think that I would give you that ugly old one from years past? I want to make this ENGAGMENT," he directed that word directly at Todd. "Perfect, you deserve no less love."   
"Yes... of course my new ring. I didn't remember if we were going to get the ring or my new wardrobe first." Elizabeth said catching on to what Laurent was going with this. Elizabeth turned and gave Laurent a full kiss and then turned back to Todd.   
Wanting to get the last word to a shocked Todd, Laurent could help by saying, "It was interesting Tim, but we must really be going. We have waisted eight years being part from that summer that every single second counts. Laurent stepped infront of todd and bowed formally like he has done countless times. He then took Elizabeth's hand and dragged her, away from a staring Todd with Jessica and Nick falling behind them.   
  
Elizabeth stood there turning her hand left and right watching the light catch the princess cut diamond in the 24kt band and setting. Any other man couldn't have afforded a ring like this one, but Laurent actually wanted to get her a ring that cost more than her entire tution at Sweet Valley University, including room/board and spending money. She convinced him with ring only to have him buy her a brand new wardrobe with accessories. So now Elizabeth had over two hundred new designer articles of clothing with just as many shoes.   
"You are completely insane." Elizabeth turned to him. stretched out on the bed he just looked at her through half closed eyes.   
"Because I bought you all knew clothes?"  
"That and the clothes that you bought are things Iwill never wear most of it is for really cold weather and chilly weather."   
"Yes, the weather in France is mostly chilly and cold. Elizabeth I asked you once before what do you want to do with this house?"  
"Why would I want to do anything with it?"   
"Well, soon you will be coming back to Francew with me, I just wanted to know what you are planning on doing with this place when you leave."   
"I'll be back to the house though."   
"So you want to keep it and use it for getaways?"   
"Yes, speaking of getaways. Why didn't you try to find me when you and your family came to Cali for a vaction a few years ago?"   
"Why didn't you come to me?"  
Elizabeth sighed and crawled onto the bed and laid her head on Laurents chest. She breathed in the raw smell of his bare chest. "I honestly didn't know if you wanted to see me or not. We didn't exactly leave on good terms. We didn't even say good bye to each other."  
"Love, if we had said good bye to each other then we wouldn't be together now. If we said goodbye then, we wouldn't be together now."  
"You believe that?"   
"I honestly believe that."   
"Then we shall never say good bye to each other." Elizabeth yawned and pulled the bed clothes up over them. Laurent reached over and turned off the lights, letting the darkness flood the room.   
"I love you Elizabeth." He placed a kiss on her head.   
"I love you too." Elizabeth snuggled down on his chest. As she was falling asleep she heard his sing softly.  
"Nighttime sharpens heightens each sensations, darkness wakes and stirs the imagaination silently the senses abandon their defenses, helpless to resist the notes I write for I compose the music of the night...." 


	21. Closing Windows, Opening Doors

Elizabeth quietly closed the door behind her. She shivered and pulled her jacket around herself tighter. The morning was gray and overcast, the promise of rain was thick in the air, this the exact reason why she is going to the park. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and made her way to her jeep. She unlocked the door and got in. Not wanting to disturb Laurent, who was more alert now then ever before when he slept.Which is making it harder for Elizabeth to get out of the house before he woke. Imagine how hard this will be when they wed..... She glanced down at her ring even in the dim light of the overcast day, it still shown brightly. She smiled and released the break in the jeep she rolled it down the drive and started the quiet engine when she was far enough from the manor.   
She drove to Secca Lake which was close to her old home on Calico Drive. She spent many pre-Laurent afternoons there.She turned off the jeep and climbed out. Taking a deep breath she headed towards the path that looped around the lake, the fresh air would do her good. Elizabeth turned on her cd player and turned the volume up on the 8 Mile soundtrack that she bought yesterday.   
Elizabeth Wakefield listening to Eminem? Stranger things have happened.   
Pumping up the volume she aptly lost herself in Eminem's new jam "Lose Yourself." Infact she lost herself so much that she almost didn't notice the lone figure sitting at the edge of the lake. She stopped and walked towards the person.   
Surprisingly enough it was Todd.   
"Hi Todd." Elizabeth greeted him.   
"Elizabeth." Todd nodded to her. "Where's your gaurd dog?"  
"Laurent's asleep right now." She motioned at the empty spot beside Todd. "May I?"   
"Sure go ahead." After Elizabeth relaxed on the blanket, Todd asked the question that has been running through his mind all night. "How do you even know the prince?"   
"Remember, when Jessica talked me into being an au pair with her eight years ago?"  
"Of course I remember I was miserable that summer. I was so happy when you came back." Todd frowned, "I asked you about the scandel about broken engagement, you said you knew nothing about it."  
Elizabeth felt the blood rush to her face at that lie. After all these years she still felt guilty for what she said, did, felt after she came back. She really shouldn't have treated Todd that way. But it wasn't her fault that her heart was stolen by a french rouge of a prince.   
"Well, Todd, that was not exactly the case the truth is that I was the mystery girl that Laurent proposed to. And of course I turned him down to come back to Sweet Valley." As an after thought Elizabeth added. "To you."   
"Did you regret your decison to leave him?" Todd asked finally after a few thick moments.   
"Yes." She said right away. "It's kinda like the story of Phantom of the Opera. Laurent is the Phantom and you are Raoul. I love you but I'm in love with Laurent. I knew that I made a mistake when I left him, and trust me I paid the price for leaving him. I knew I had hold on to him this second time around."  
Todd looked at Elizabeth for a moment after her confession. Not being able to hold it in Todd started laughing. Elizabeth sat there and watched him laugh quaking he brushed the tears from his eyes. "Oh, Elizabeth do you wanna know what I think?"  
"I'm afraid to ask."   
"I think you were a fool. You are one of the smartest people I know, but a fool all the same. If I were in your place and he proposed to me..."  
"I get your point Todd."   
"You were nuts to choose me over him when it was him you loved all along."  
"I should actaully thank you Todd if you hadn't broken up with me the night before I wouldn't be engaged right now." Elizabeth showed him the ring.  
Todd took one look at the rock. "Damn. That's nice."  
"You should have seen the one Laurent wanted to get me. Twice as big and three times as costly. In order for Laurnet to make up for the price of t he ring he decided to go on a spree."  
Todd arched an eyebrow. "Spree?"   
"Yeah I know have a new wardrobe that would make Bruce Patman weep and make Lila Fowler look like a beggar."  
"Liz, that was never your style."  
"That wasn't Liz Wakefield's style. But it is Elizabeth, Princess de Sainte Marie's style." Elizabeth felt a grin cross her face. "I honestly love the sound of that. Elizabeth de Sainte Marie, Princess de Sainte Marie. Wife of Laurent de Sainte Marie."   
"Okay enough." Todd raised his hands in mock surrender. "I get it you are marrying a prince."   
"I don't know if I said this or not but I'm sorry for the way I, we acted yesterday. I was kinda out of it. You see we were shopping for Jessica, since she's pregnant and in need of new clothes."  
"Jess always needs new clothes. congrats by the way. I forgive you. He seems very possessive."  
"Thanks." Elizabeth looked at her watch. " I need to go. Bye Todd." Elizabeth stood up and Todd followed. She hugged him and let go. She turned and headed towards her car.  
"ELIZABETH!"   
She turned around. "Yea?"  
Todd caught up with her. "You might wanna go see a doctor. You seem....thicker than usual. I don't know your relationship or anything, but you might wanna go to the doctor."   
"Sure. Thanks." She made her way to her jeep in thought. As she started the jeep she had a though t run through her head.  
Could I? 


	22. Laurent's Lament

**Authors note** It's been a while I realize that. I feel really bad about this but, I think the wait was worth it. You do not know how many times I came to my computer to type out the next installment in this Story that has quite frankly taken on a life of its own. As I write this I, this story has earned over 55 reviews in a small section of fanfiction.net. I know that the pressure was high because of this. Because of the high number of reviews for this story I knew that the demand for quality was high. I tried several different approaches to this chapter, so it pretty much shocked the hell out of me when my muses kicked back into gear and gave me this idea. To write this next chapter from Laurent's view, the thoughts in his head. This is where I go into parts of his character that the Sweet Valley Triology left out. This Laurent is somewhat darker in personality. I am really enjoying going into him more, because there are just somethings that the books left out. I am also playing with the idea of writing a story of Laurent's life. Tell me what you think when and if you review for this chapter. Happy Reading.**   
"I don't know what's worse the constant rain in England or the unpredictable weather here in Sweet Valley." Laurent muttered while looking out one of the bay windows that faced a rough and wild Pacific Ocean. He lifted the cup of coffee to his lips and took a gulp looking over the rim of the cup he watched a couple walk hand and hand down the beach. Even though this was a private strip of beach Elizabeth still let people have access to it. He turned away from the window and crossed the livingroom. He sat down and stretched his long legs in front of himself. He wasn't quite sure why he was in a bad mood, maybe it was because of the weather.   
He groaned and put his empty coffee cup on the coffee table, laying out on the couch he let his body relax. Pushing his hands beneath his head he stared up at the vaulted ceiling. His let his memories flood his mind and take him back into the past......  
  
I pushed open the gate to the little english garden and took a deep breath of flower scented air. Engaged.   
I stormed into the garden and sat down hard on the little stone bench. How on earth could Papa do this to me? I wondered looking into the little pond the goldfish just looked back at me. I had studied arranged marriages in my history lessons but I never exspected this to happen to me. It would have been different if the bethothal was to a girl who I actaully could stand for more than five minutes.   
Antonia di Rimmini. That little 15 yr old with the frizzy orange hair and the nose that was so sharp that it could cut steak. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine. Surely she and her bitch of a mother couldn't be what the fates had planned for me. To marry Antonia would be to marry her mother also.   
I angryily pushed my hand through my hair. I WILL NOT marry her. I silently promised. Groaning I leaned back against the back of the bench. Today was my eighteenth birthday, and tonight at the formal ball will be the offical annoucentment to me that my life was over.   
Wonderful.   
What I wouldn't give to be a normal teenager. Just to be able to go to college, I smiled a little, the chance to meet a few college girls. But I will never have that kind of freedom that I so wish for.  
In two weeks we leave for the Chateau in the south of France. I always loved that old castle all the secret passage ways, the trap doors, and the huge maze that I used to play in every time I got a chance. Mayb I could lose Antonia and her mother in the maze, there have been legends of themaze, once you go into the maze you will never be found again.   
I turned my heada clanking sound, I saw my stepmother enter the garden and walked over to me. Sitting on the beach Catherine took my hand.   
"Laurent, I know you are not happy about this arrangement. But I know that you will warm up to Antonia, she really isn't all that bad. In order for you to spend more time with her. Your father and I have decided to hire to au pairs for the summer. So you won't have to watch the children."  
"Two?" I questioned her. This was a shock. Normally I took care of my brother and sisters when we went to the Chateau.   
"Yes, a pair of american girls, twins I believe, sixteen years old.  
"What are their names?"   
"Wakefield, Elizabeth and Jessica."   
I smirked. "I think you might need more than two teenage girls to handle the Triple Terror." Triple Terror is what I've called them since they chased off the last three au pairs that came on our Christmas break. which I must say pretty damn good, especially since that Peirre, Claudette and Manon where only 5, 2, and 13 months.   
"The twins will do just fine. The children can't get into to any trouble on a private island. Besides I need you to spend more time with Antonia. It is your duty as the oldest son to uphold the traditions of the royal family...."   
I blocked out Catherine's voice. I despise the duty and honor speech. I turned my head and glanced up at the palace. A gilted cage is still a cage. I heaved a sigh. I did not live a life. I was a prisoner who was forced into a life of of hard labor. My crime?   
I was born.....  
"Laurent," He opened his eyes and tried to focus his wavering gaze at the angel who stared at him with her up side down teal eyes. "I though you were gone from the world. Elixabeth said walking around the couch to the side of it. with her hip brushing the side of it.   
Smiling Laurent pulled Elizabeth down onto the couch beside him. He tangled his hand in her loose hair. Kissing her,he pulled away and stroked her cheek with his other hand. "We will have to leave for France soon, my dear."   
"I know." Stretching her legs out, she continued. "When do we need to leave?"   
"Most likely in a week, maybe less." He admitted honestly. " With you, liz, I almost forget that I'm a prince, much less a crown prince." Flashing a smile at Elizabeth, he added, "and that's not always a bad thing."   
"Sure...." Elizabeth met his grin. Her smile fadded as she realized what he just said. "You called me "Liz". I believe that is the first time you ever called me that."  
"I do believe you are right about that love, I guess we are ready for the alter now."   
"I sure hope so. Because there is a chance that I could be pregnant." She rolled off the couch and headed up the step into the foyer. She blew a kiss over her shoulder before she dissapeared into the foyer.   
Laying there, the full impact of her words hit him like a well placed fist in his chest. Pregnant??   
"LIZ!!" He flew off the couch and went after the coy little blonde. 


	23. Goodbyes are never easy Especially in th...

** Author's Note, Sorry it took so long for this chapter, I have been extremely busy these past few months. I just graduated from high school and my computer was in a major downfall, but its up and running now, even though I lost EVERYTHING all of my writings this entire story was wiped clean from the hard drive. I resaved all of the chapters of the story, but I lost the future chapters I was working on. So now that my computer is finally up and running I can get this story moving again. I've been reading the reviews that you guys have left me and I feel really blessed to have such great people like my story. On a final note.....   
  
Maria...... thank you for caring so much that you left several reviews for me. It's really nice to know that you enjoy it so much. :). So this chapter is dedicated to you for the support. **  
  
Chapter 22   
  
**One Week Later**  
  
Elizabeth sat there on the off-white carpet in her childhood bedroom. She heaved a sigh and continued to wrap all of her old year books in bubblewrap and placed them in the box next to her. The room was filled with boxes of all different sizes. All packed and ready to be sent to France. A knock a the door snapped Elizabeth out of her thoughts. The door opened and Laurent stepped into the room.   
  
He gave a lopsided grin. "I see that your almost ready to go."  
  
Elizabeth gave a small shrug and moved a box from beside her so that he fiancee could sit down next to her. "Jess was helping me but she became tired." To prove Elizabeth's point the previously unnoticed lump on the bed gave off a loud snore.   
  
"What are you packaging?" Laurent took the wrapped book from her hands. "Sweet Valley Middle School," he read off the cover.  
  
"It's my sixth grade yearbook." Elizabeth took the book and opened it up to the page with her and Jess's picture in it. "That's us when we were twelve years old." She pointed to the girls. In the black and white pictures Elizabeth had her hair clipped to the sides of her head and it was obvious that Jessica was wearing make-up even in the gray picture. "I have a yearbook for every year of school I went through. From kindergarten at Sweet Valley Elementry to my senior year at Sweet Valley University. They're my memories."   
  
While Elizabeth was talking Laurent was looking at certian picture, one Todd Wilkins. "Is this the same Todd that I had met in the mall?"   
  
"Yea, that's Todd, he was so into basketball back then. He was into basketball up until our senior year at Sweet Valley High." Elizaeth took the book and rewrapped it up in the bubblewrap. She put it in the box and picked up the seventh grade yearbook. A yellowed piece of paper fell out of it and conviently into Laurent's hand. Before Elizabeth could say something Laurent opened up the note and read.   
  
"Elizabeth- you'll always be mine. Do you feel the same as I do? If you do please meet me at Casey's Icecream Parlor after school on Friday, 4:00 pm. Yours forever. Todd W." He looked at Elizabeth and had to bite his tongue from laughing out loud. Her face was redder than the shirt she was wearing. "Care to explain this" Laurent mocked growled.   
  
"I-I- It was a note from Todd when we were in middle school." Elizabeth looked up into Laurent eyes and saw laughter in his deep blue eyes. She glared at him menacingly and reached for the note, he easily held it from her grip.   
  
"If you want this pathetic attempt at gaining your love then by all means come for it." He folded the note up carefully then dropped it down his tucked in shirt.  
  
"If you insist." Elizabeth gently sat the book down on the ground and flung her self onto Laurnet and knocked both of them onto the off-white carpet. Laughing Elizabeth untucked his shirt and pulled it off his body. She flung it into the air and it fell on the again forgotten blonde lump on the bed. Only now the lump was wide awake was watching the spectical on the floor.   
  
"Excuse me, but did you forget that there is someone else in the room." Jessica asked sarcasm dripped from the question. "You two need to save it for the wedding night."   
  
Elizabeth didn't move from where she was sitting, on Laurent's chest. "Like you did?" She asked sweetly.   
  
"Haha, funny Elizabeth. so can you two knock it off before I toss up my lunch."   
  
"Hey, ithis is my room you know. You have one right through the bathroom. And if you need to there is a toliet in there so you can use it, since its obvious we disgust you so much."   
  
"That isn't the point dear sister I never thought you would be a sexual person. I was always the one into the who guy scene."  
  
"Yes, and you were the one married and divorced before we were done with our first freshman semester at SVU."   
  
"See, you just proved my point," Jessica gave a cheeky smile. "I do know more. But I see that your getting training right now, so I'll go down stairs and raid the fridge."   
  
"I don't care what you do Jessica," Laurent broke in for the first time. Just leave. We are a little busy right now."  
  
Jessica got off the bed and made her way around the boxes. "No shit, Sherlock." She tossed over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her. Laurent lifted up so that Elizabeth was straddling his hips.   
  
"Promise me," he said "that Jessica won't be interfering when we get married."   
  
"I cannot promise you that, if Jessica wants to be somewhere she'll be there. Good, bad or indifferent. But I can promise you one thing." Elizabeth got off Laurent, much to his protesting, and went to the door and locked it. "She won't be back in here again."  
  
"Good." Elizabeth looked up just in time to see Laurent scoop down and pick her up. He carried her over to the bed and tumbled them both onto the bed.   
  
"I really don't have time for this, I still have to finish packing."   
  
"Together, we can finish up later, now its time for some fun." He trailed kisses down her neck and pulled off her red t-shirt.  
  
"Well, if you put it that way."   
  
Several hours later Elizabeth wrapped the last yearbook in the bubblewrap and handed it to Laurent. "That's the last of it."   
  
"Why did you wait to pack your yearbooks last?" He placed the tome into the the box. Closed the box and taped the seems.   
  
"I am not sure. Maybe because I'm moving from my hometown and I've never done that before. I grew up in this room. It feels weird to know that I'm leaving tomorrow morning for good."   
  
"Elizabeth," Laurent tilted her head up stared into her teal eyes. "If I was something different than what I was"  
  
"You mean being a Prince," she said gently.  
  
"Yes, I weren't a prince I would stay here with you and your family in Sweet Valley."  
  
"I know you mean that, and I'm thankful you feel like that. But if you weren't a prince, we never would have met."   
  
"You see I don't believe, Liz." He took her hand and led her over to the rumpled bed. "We are meant to be together, we would have met and fell in love anyway." He reached under the pillow and pulled out a box. " This is for you."   
  
Elizabeth took the box out of his hand and opened it gently. Inside was a silver raindrop pendant with the date, "June, 15 1997." That was the day Elizabeth took a break from her job, which was being an aupair and took a walk through a large green maze. During the walk, a pop up thunderstorm let loose on Elizabeth, who was already lost. She ran through the maz, taking turn after turn and through the shubbery of the maze she had seen the cottage. An invisable hand led her to the door and it opened to reveal her now lover.   
  
"I love it." She leaned down and kissed him gently on the mouth. HE lifted her hair and placed the chain around her neck.   
  
He smiled a soft smile. "Perfect."   
  
Next morning in the Wakefield kitchen, it was a very cozy picture. Steven Wakefield, aka big brother was cooking his ultra famous blueberry pancakes, his wife, Billie Wakefield was sitting at the table with Jessica, both who were pregnant, Billie's third, sharing stories. Nick was holding tissues for Alice Wakefield, who was going through them extremely fast. Ned Wakefield was rubbing his wife's shoulders.   
  
"Our little girl is leaving us." Alice sobbed into a fresh tissue.   
  
"Mom, you didn't cry this much, when I got married." Jessica remind her.   
  
"Jessica, you weren't moving to France. Elizabeth is...." She blew her nose into the tissue.   
  
"Mom, it'll be ok," Elizabeth reassured her mother for what feels like the thousandth time.   
  
"So, where are you two headed?" Ned asked sitting down next to Alice.   
  
"Paris, first of all then we are going to my Chateau for the first part of the marriage." Laurent looked at the clock on the wall. 10:00 am. "Elizabeth, we need to head out now. We have to be on the plane by 10:30."  
  
"Your right, everyone we need to be leaving now." For the next few minutes there was a lot more crying, lots of hugs and more tears as Elizabeth and Laurent made their way outside to the overcast day and down into the limo. Elizabeth's possessions had already been sent to Laurent's own jet. Getting into the jet she looked up at her father.   
  
"We'll join you two in France for the wedding in a couple of months." Ned said. kissing Elizabeth on the head. "Goodbye Lauren, it's wonderful to know that Elizabeth will be taken care of. Welcome to the family. Now, get the hell out ofthe country. Take my daughter with you."   
  
Laurent laughed. "Yes sir, my pleasure. Alex," Laurent spoke to the driver. Let's go." He rolled up the window and they pulled away from the house. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to see her family heading back into the only home she's ever known.   
  
"Will you be alright?" He asked when he turned back around.   
  
"Yea, I will be."  
  
"Your life's about to change now."   
  
Elizabeth snuggled against her future. "Good to know."   
  
The End.   
  
If you all want a sequel, leave me reviews. Please let me know if you want me to continue. More reviews the faster I will get out the next part of the Second Chance series. :) I'm such a stinker I didn't do a wedding. 


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